•11* 


LECTURES 


ON 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE, 


REMARKS  ON  SOME  PASSAGES 


AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


BY  SAMUEL  L.  KNAPP. 


"  Nor  rough,  nor  barren,  are  the  winding  ways 
Of  hoar  antiquity,  but  strewn  with  flowers." 

"  Peace  to  the  just  man's  memory, — let  it  grow 
Greener  with  years,  and  blossom  through  the  flight 
Of  ages ;  let  the  mi  mirk  canvass  show 
His  calm  benevolent  features  ;  let  the  li?ht 
Siream  on  his  deeds  of  love,  that  shunn'd  the  sight 
OC  nil  but  heaven,  and  in  the  book  of  fame 
The  dorious  record  of  his  virtues  write, 
And  hold  it  up  to  men,  and  bid  them  claim 
A  palm  like  his,  and  catch  from  him  the  hallowed  flame." 

Bryant. 

"  The  freshness  of  that  past  shall  still 

Sacred  to  memory's  holiest  musings  be.'* 


STEREOTYPED    BY    JAMES    CONNER. 

PUBLISHED  BY  ELAM  BLISS, 
No.  107  Broadway. 

1829. 


Southern  District  of  New-York,  «. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  8th  day  of  October,  A.  D.  1829,  hi  the 
fifty-fourth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
SAMUEL  L.  KNAPP,  of  the  said  District,  has  deposited  in  this  office  the  title 
of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims  as  author,  in  the  words  following, 
to  wit  :— 

"Lectures  on  American  Literature,  with  remarks  on  some  passages  of 
American  History.  By  Samuel  L.  Knapp. 

"  Nor  rough,  nor  barren,  are  the  winding  ways 
Of  hoar  antiquity,  but  strewn  with  flowers." 

"  Peace  to  the  just  man's  memory, — let  it  grow 
Greener  with  years,  and  blossom  through  the  flight 
Of  ages ;  let  the  mimick  canvass  show 
His  calm  benevolent  features ;  let  the  light 
Stream  on  his  deeds  of  love,  that  shunn'd  the  sight 
Of  all  tmt  heaven,  and  in  the  book  of  fame 
The  glorious  record  of  his  virtues  write, 
And  hold  it  up  to  men,  and  bid  them  claim 
A.  palm  like  his,  and  catch  from  him  the  haUowed  flame." 

Bryant 

"  The  freshnesB  of  that  past  shall  still 

Sacred  to  memory's  holiest  musings  be." 


In  conformity  to  the  act  of  Congress  of  the  United  States,  entitled,  "An 
Act  for  the  encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps, 
Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during- 
the  time  therein  mentioned."  And  also  to  an  Act,  entitled,  "  An  Act,  sup- 
plementary to  an  Act,  entitled,  an  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  Learning, 
by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and 
proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned,  and  ex- 
tending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arte  of  designing,  engraving,  and  etching 
historical  and  other  prints." 

FRED.  J.  BETTS, 
Clerk  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


Ludwig  &  Totefose,  Printers. 


WILLIAM  AUSTIN  SEELY,  ESQ,. 


COUNSELLOR  AT  LAW. 


MY  DEAR  SIB, 

To  you,  who,  amid  the  cares  of  a  full  practice  in  a  laborious  and  an  all- 
absorbing  profession,  surrounded  by  clients  and  engaged  in  courts,  have 
found  time,  by  system  and  method,  to  collect  the  literature  and  science  of 
every  age,  and  to  taste,  most  liberally,  of  their  sweets,  I  respectfully  dedicate 
this  humble  volume,  in  which  1  have  attempted  to  describe,  by  a  few  faint 
sketches,  and  with  some  passing  remarks,  the  literature,  the  talents,  and  the 
character  of  our  ancestors.  I  have  taken  this  liberty,  because  I  was  confident 
that  you  would  favour  the  effort,  whatever  might  be  its  success  with  the  pub- 
lick,  as  you  understood  the  motives  which  called  it  forth ;  and  for  another 
reason,  which  is,  that  I  know  you  are  among  the  number  who  are  anxious 
that  we,  asJppeopIe,  should  speak  freely  and  justly  of  ourselves,  and  honestly 
strive  to  place  our  claims  to  national  distinction  on  the  broad  basis  of  well 
authenticated  historical  facts  ;  this  would  soon  be  accomplished,  if  all  our  able 
and  enlightened  scholars  would  come  forward  to  aid  the  few  who  are  toiling  in 
the  cause :  yet,  with  a  few  exceptions,  our  pride  has  rather  led  us  to  make 
spirited  retorts,  than  laborious  researches,  for  an  answer  to  those  who  question 
our  literary  and  scientifick  character : — The  work  I  now  present  you  and  the 
publick,  is  only  offered  as  the  opening  argument  of  junior  counsel,  in  the  great 
cause  instituted  to  establish  the  claims  of  the  United  States  to  that  intellectual, 
literary,  and  scientifick  eminence,  which  we  say,  she  deserves  to  have,  and 
ought  to  maintain  ;  and  in  this,  I  have  attempted  but  little  more  than  to  state 
my  points,  name  my  authorities,  and  then  have  left  the  whole  field  for  those 
abler  advocates  who  may  follow  me.  To  be  thought  by  you,  and  those  like 
you,  capable  of  judging,  that  I  have  opened  the  cause  fairly,  and  made  out  a 
respectable  brief  to  hand  to  others,  will  be  sufficient  praise  for  me ;  I  will  not, 
in  these  few  lines,  devoted  to  personal  respect  and  friendship,  enter  far  into 
my  plans,  or  fully  express  my  hopes ;  but  leaving  these  for  time  to  develop,  or 
for  your  private  ear,  I  will  only  add  my  sincere  prayers  that  your  life  may  be 
long,  and  continued  as  happy  and  prosperous  as  it  has  heretofore  been,  and 
that  your  generous  exertions,  of  every  kind,  may  at  all  times  meet  with  a  just 
measure  of  gratitude,  the  richest  recompense  a  high  mind  can  receive. 
Your  obliged  friend  and  humble  servant, 

SAMUEL  L.  KNAPP. 
November,  1829. 


54.1 

ENGLISH 


PREFACE. 


Every  book  that  to  ushered  into  the  world,  is  a  mental  experiment  of  the  writer,  to  as- 
certain  the  taste,  and  to  obtain  the  judgement  of  the  community ;  and  the  author  can  only 
be  certain  of  one  thins,  and  that  is,  of  his  intentions  in  his  publication.  Of  my  intentions,  1 
nly  say,  as,  perhaps,  I  have  a  dozen  times  said  in  the  course  of  my  work,  they  were 
libit  to  the  rising  generation  something  of  the  history  of  the  thoughts  and  intellectual 


to  exhibit  to  the  rising  generation  something  of  the  history  of  the  thoughts  and  intellectual 
labours  of  our  forefathers,  as  well  as  of  their  deeds.  There  is,  however,  an  intimate  con- 
nexion between  thinking  and  acting,  particularly  among  a  free  and  an  energetick  people. 
My  plan,  when  I  commenced  my  researches,  was  an  extensive  one,  and  I  gathered  copious 
materials  to  carry  it  into  effect  For  several  years  past,  I  have  had  access  to  libraries  rich 
in  American  literature ;  but  when  1  sat  down  to  work  up  the  mass  I  had  collected,  the  thought 
suggested  itself  to  my  mind,  that  no  adequate  compensation  could  ever  be  reasonably  ex- 
pected for  my  pains;  and  then  the  consciousness  that  I  was  in  some  measure  trespassing 
upon  my  professional  pursuits,  went  far  to  quench  my  zeal,  and  to  chase  away  my  visions 
of  literary  reputation.  Still,  I  could  not  be  persuaded  to  relinquish  altogether  my  design, 
and  I  therefore  set  about  abridging  my  outlines,  dispensing  with  many  of  my  remarks,  and 
giving  up  numerous  elaborate  finishings  I  had  promised  myself  to  make  in  the  course  of  my 
work.  And  another  thought  struck  me  most  forcibly,  that  a  heavy  publication  would  not  be 
readily  within  the  reach  of  all  classes  of  youth  in  our  country,  but  that  a  single  volume  of 
common  size,  in  a  cheap  edition,  might  find  its  way  into  some  of  our  schools,  and  be  of  ser- 
rice  in  giving  our  children  a  wish  to  pursue  the  subject  of  our  literary  history,  as  they  ad- 
Tanced  in  years  and  in  knowledge.  The  instructors  of  our  youth,  when  true  to  their 
trust,  form  a  class  in  the  community  that  I  hold  in  respect  and  esteem,  and  they  will 
pardon  me  for  making  a  few  remarks  to  them.  Your  calling  is  high,  1  had  almost  said  holy. 
To  your  intelligence,  patience,  good  temper,  purity  of  life,  and  soundness  of  principles,  pa- 
rents look  for  the  forming  of  healthy,  vigorous  minds,  in  their  children.  If  you  cannot  create 
talents,  you  can  do  something  better ;  you  can  guide  the  fiery,  and  wake  up  the  dull ;  correct 
the  mischievous,  and  encourage  the  timid.  The  temple  of  knowledge  is  committed  to  your 
care ;  the  priesthood  is  a  sacred  one.  Every  inscription  on  the  walls  should  be  kept 
bright,  that  the  dimmest  eye  may  see,  and  the  slowest  comprehension  may  read  and  be 
taught  to  understand.  Your  task  is  great,  and  every  member  of  the  community,  who  is 
able  to  give  you  any  assistance,  should  come  to  your  aid  in  the  great  business  of  instruction. 
In  this  way  much  has  been  done  ;— m\ich,  however,  remains  to  be  done.  The  elements  of 
learning  have  been  simplified,  and  thousands  of  children  have  been  beguiled  along  the  path- 
way  of  knowledge,  who  never  could  have  been  driven  onward.  Geography  has  been  made 
easy  and  fascinating,  and  the  elements  of  natural  philosophy  very  pleasant ;  and  what  was 
once  difficult  and  harsh  to  young  minds  in  many  studies,  has  become  attractive.  His- 
tory, both  sacred  and  profane,  has  assumed  new  charms  as  it  has  been  prepared  for  the 
•chool-room  ;  I  speak  of  the  history  of  other  countries,  not  of  our  own.  We  have  very  good 
histories— narrative,  political,  military,  and  constitutional ;  but  I  know  none,  as  yet,  that  can 
be  called  literary — meaning  by  the  term,  a  history  of  our  literature,  and  of  our  literary  men; 
and  probably  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  we  shall  have  such  an  one  as  we  ought  to  have. 
Our  Sismondis,  D'teraells,  are  yet  to  arise.  You  will  struggle  in  vain  to  make  American 
history  well  understood  by  your  pupils,  unle-<  tn.viraplnral  sketches,  anecdotes,  and  literary 
selections,  are  mingled  with  the  mass  of  general  facts.  The  heart  must  be  affected,  and  the 
imagination  seized,  to  make  lasting  impressions  upon  the  memory. 

One  word  to  your  pride: — you  are  aware  that  it  has  been  said  by  foreigners,  and  often 
repeated,  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  American  literature;  that  it  would  be  in  vain  for 
any  one  to  seek  for  proofs  of  taste,  mind,  or  information,  worth  possessing,  in  our  early  re- 
cords; and  some  of  our  citizens,  who  have  never  examined  these  matters,  have  rested  so 
quietly  after  these  declarations,  or  so  faintly  denied  them,  that  the  bold  asserters  of  these 
hbels  have  gained  confidence  in  tauntingly  repeating  them.  The  great  epoch  in  our  history 
— the  revolution  of  1775— seemed  sufficient,  alone,  to  many  of  the  present  generation,  to 
give  w,  as  a  people,  all  the  celebrity  and  rank,  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  we  ought  to 
aspire  to,  without  taking  the  trouble  to  go  back  to  the  previous  ages  of  heroick  virtue  and 
gimmick  labours.  Many  of  the  present  generation  are  willing  to  think  that  our  ancestors 
were  a  pious  and  perseverlns  race  of  men,  who  really  did  possess  some  strength  of  charac- 
ter, but,  without  further  reflection,  they  are  ready  to  allow  that  a  few  pages  are  "  ample 
room  and  verjre  enoush"  to  trace  their  character  and  their  history  together.  I  have  ven- 
tured to  think  differently,  and  also  to  flatter  myself,  that,  at  the  present  day,  it  would  not  be 
a  thankless  task  to  attempt  to  delineate  some  of  the  prominent  features  of  our  ancestors  in 
justiflration  of  my  opinion.  This  errour  can  only  be  eradicated  by  your  assistance,  and 
that  by  instilling  into  the  minds  of  our  children,  in  your  everv-day  lessons,  correct  informa- 
tion upon  these  subject*  ;_and  while  you  lead  your  pupils  through  t)»e  paths  of  miscellaneous 
and  classical  literature— and,  at  the  present  day,  even  the  huptblest  education  partakes  of 
much  that  is  of  a  classical  nature— be  it  your  duty,  also,  to  pjake  them  acquainted  with  the 
minutest  portions  of  their  country's  history.  No  people,  who  do  not  love  themselves  better 
than  all  others,  can  ever  be  prosperous  and  great.  A  sort  of  Inferiority  always  hangs  about 
him  who  unduly  reverences  another.  If  "know  thyself,"  be  a  sound  maxim  for  individual 
consideration,  "  think  well  Of  thyst/f,"  should  be  a  national  one.  Patriotism  and  greatness 
gin  at  the  maternal  bosom,  are  seen  in  the  nursery  and  primary  school,  and  quicken  into 
e  in  every  advancing  stage  of  knowledge.  Guardians  of  a  nation's  morals,  trainers  of  in- 
actual  greatness,  show  to  your  charge,  in  proper  lights,  the  varied  talent  of  your  country, 
•un  beam^u  "^their'mem '  -and  "I8crit>e  beT gl0ries  ^  fl"nd'  "^  heart» and  decd>  M  with  a 
'' 


CONTENTS. 


LECTURE  I. 

The  English  language  our  inheritance ;  all  other  possessions  from  our  own 
industry.  The  care  we  have  taken  of  it.  The  language  of  a  people  a 
proof  of  their  advancement  in  knowledge.  The  effect  of  climate  on  language. 
Our  language  too  much  neglected.  The  language  of  the  ancient  Britons. 
The  Saxon  language  from  Alfred  the  Wise  to  Alfred  the  Great.  The 
change  of  the  Saxon  after  the  conquest.  The  origin  of  the  English  language. 
For  good  poetry  there  must  be  a  high  degree  of  mental  cultivation.  The 
English  language  enriched  from  many  sources.  The  copiousness,  and  the 
strength  of  the  English  language  ;  Specimens ;  beauty,  sweetness,  majesty, 
with  specimens  for  illustration.  The  diffusion  of  the  English  language. 
The  attention  now  paid  to  the  acquisition  of  it  The  necessity  of  keeping 
it  pure.  The  origin  of  dictionaries.  Dr.  Johnson's  labours.  Dr.  Web- 
ster's dictionary.  The  invention  of  the  Cherokee  alphabet.  See-quah-yah 
the  inventor ;  the  method  of  his  invention  of  letters,  and  of  numbers ;  his 
talents  and  character.  The  Cherokee  newspaper,  &c.  9 

LECTURE  II. 

Literature.  Plan  of  the  following  lectures.  Greek  literature.  General 
observations.  Roman  and  Arabick  literature.  The  value  of  lectures  in 
communicating  knowledge.  The  state  of  learning  when  our  ancestors 
came  to  this  country.  The  character  of  the  colonists.  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
sent  to  this  country.  The  Virginia  settlement.  John  Smith,  his  character 
and  writings.  The  pilgrims.  The  settlement  of  the  province  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay.  The  value  of  the  bible  to  the  first  settlers ;  and  to  all  men. 
The  object  and  hopes  of  the  lecturer.  29 

LECTURE  III. 

Sketches  of  some  of  the  pilgrims  ;  Brewster,  Bradford,  Standish,  Winslow. 
Proofs  of  the  intellectual  advancement  of  the  pilgrims.  The  books  they 
wrote  ;  Morton's  Memorial,  Winslow's  Good  News,  Mourt's  Journal. 
The  precarious  situation  of  the  first  settlers.  The  colony  of  Massachusetts 
Bay.  Winthrop,  as  a  magistrate  and  historian,  Dudley,  Sir  Richard 
Saltonstall,  John  Wilson,  John  Elliot,  the  apostle  to  the  Indians.  The 
Sheppards  :md  their  writings.  Nathaniel  Ward,  Peter  Bulkley,  Nathaniel 
Rogers,  Ezekiel  Rogers.  The  founding  of  Harvard  College.  Presidents, 
Dunster,  Chauncoy,  Hoar,  Oaks,  Rogers,  Increase  Mather.  Mathematical 
science.  John  Sherman.  Progress  of  literature  in  the  ancient  dominion. 
Their  clergy.  Maryland  settled  by  respectable  catholicks.  New- York. 
History  of  the  Waldenses.  Settlement  of  Connecticut;  its  distin- 
guished men  ;  of  New-Hampshire  ;  of  Rhode  Island.  Roger  Williams. 
The  character  of  the  females  of  that  age ;  the  cause  of  their  superiority. 
General  remarks  upon  our  progenitors.  43 

A2 


6  CONTENTS. 

LECTURE  IV. 

The  characters  of  the  Mathers,  father  and  son.  William  Penn;  the  rapid 
growth  of  his  colony.  The  literature  of  Pennsylvania.  The  origin  of 
Yale  College.  Mention  of  Berkley  dean  of  Derry ;  his  bounty  ;  his  pro- 
phetick  poem.  The  administration  of  Governor  Saltonstall.  The  liberal 
views  of  Calef.  Burnett,  his  eloquence,  and  writings.  Jeremy  Dummer. 
Lieutenant  Governor  Dummer.  Charter  of  William  and  Mary';  the  advan- 
tages derived  from  it.  John  Read,  a  luminary  of  the  law.  Lord  Cornbury. 
The  literature  of  South  Carolina.  William  and  Mary  College  in  Virginia. 
A  general  summary,  reviewing  the  first  century  to  its  close.  -  58 

LECTURE  V. 

A  view  of  the  population,  difficulties,  changes,  and  state  of  the  colonies  at  the 
commencement  of  the  second  century.  Thomas  Prince.  The  character 
of  Benjamin  Franklin,  David  Mason.  The  mathematicians  and  astrono- 
mers ;  Travis,  Ames,  and  Douglass.  The  metaphysicians,  President  Ed- 
wards and  his  son.  The  discussion  respecting  the  introduction  of  episco- 
pal bishops.  The  writers  on  the  subject,  Apthorp,  Seabury,  Johnson, 
Chauncey,  Mayhew.  Sketch  of  Mayhew.  The  origin  of  Columbia  College 
in  the  city  of  New- York ;  Brown,  in  Rhode  Island,  and  Dartmouth,  in 
New-Hampshire.  The  mathematicians  who  distinguished  themselves  by 
their  observations  on  the  transit  of  Venus ;  Rittenhouse  and  others.  Win- 
throp's  opinion  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  -  75 

LECTURE  VI. 

The  excitement  just  before  the  revolution.     The  writs  of  assistance.    Otis, 
Gridley,    Samuel   Adams.     Thomas   Hutchinson.     Josiah   Q,uiricy.      Dr. 
Samuel  Cooper,  his  taste,  eloquence,  and  fine  writings.     The  massacre. 
The  proceedings  thereon.     The  orators  in  succession  on  this  anniversary. 
The  bold  doctrines  advanced.     Attention  to  Oriental  literature.     Stephen 
Sewall  deeply  read  in  Eastern  languages.     The  republick  of  letters.     The 
influence  of  the  student  on  society.        ------        89 

LECTURE  VII. 

The  coolness  exhibited  by  our  patriots  of  the  revolution.  The  conduct  of  the 
Provincial  Congress  at  Watertown,  July  17,  1775.  Their  first  views  of  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  The  Continental  Congress.  Their  decision  and  mo- 
desty. Their  petitions  to  the  king,  and  people  of  Great  Britain.  The  style  of 
the  pamphlets  and  letters  of  that  period.  Charleston,  (S.  C.)  first  celebrated 
the  4th  of  July.  Dr.  Ramsay,  and  Dr.  Ladd,  orators.  Judge  Brecken- 
ridge,  eulogium  on  the  brave  men  who  had  fallen  in  the  contest  with  Great 
Britain.  A  parallel  between  the  oration  of  Pericles  and  the  American 
orator.  Washington  a  sound,  excellent  writer.  Compared  with  other 
great  chieftains.  The  conventions  called  in  the  several  states  for  taking 
into  consideration  the  question  of  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  constitution. 
A  succinct  view  of  the  speakers  in  some  of  the  conventions,  pro  and  con. 
Fears  and  jealousies,  hopes  and  anticipations.  The  deep  interest  foreigners 
took  in  the  question.  The  Remembrancer.  The  Federalist.  The  first 
Congress.  The  style  of  our  early  laws.  The  characters  of  the  first  secre- 
taries. The  debating  talents  in  the  first  Congress.  The  relationship  be- 


CONTENTS.  7 

tween  literature  and  science.    Changes  in  legal  reasoning,  and  the  causes 
of  it    Theology,  its  trials,  its  virtues,  and  its  literature.        -        -        102 

LECTURE  VHL 

Physicians  and  clergymen,  the  same  for  many  years.  The  early  physicians  and 
surgeons.  The  diseases  they  had  to  contend  with ;  periods  of  the  preva- 
lence of  the  small  pox.  Thomas  Thatcher's  book.  Robert  Child.  Ger- 
shom  Bulkley.  Dr.  Douglass'  work.  Dr.  Boylston.  Botanists ;  Catesbjj 
and  Clayton,  Dudley,  and  others.  Hippocrates'  description  of  a  quack: 
The  physicians  who  figured  as  officers  in  the  revolutionary  war.  The 
heads  of  medical  schools ;  Rush,  Middleton,  Warren,  Dexter,  Waterhouse, 
Smith,  and  others.  Character  of  Dr.  Holyoke,  bis  great  age  and  wonder- 
ful serenity  of  mind.  Slight  notices  of  several  historians  and  biographers. 
Medical  writers,  and  those  who  have  touched  both  history  and  fiction. 
Periodicals,  newspapers,  &c.  The  disposition  of  the  English  softening 
towards  our  writers,  and  the  country  generally.  -  -  -  -  118 
LECTURE  IX. 

A  general  description  of  poetry  and  its  uses.  A  succinct  view  of  English 
poetry  from  its  early  dawn  in  the  twelfth  century,  to  the  time  of  Shakspeare, 
or  to  the  time  this  country  was  settled.  American  poetry  and  poets. 
John  Smith.  Poetry  of  Morton's  New-England  Memorial.  Hooker's, 
Norton's,  Woodbridge's  elegiack  verses.  Bradford's,  Elliot's,  Wiggles- 
worth's  labours.  Thomas  Makin's  verse,  and  Governor  Wolcott's,  with 
anonymous  ballads,  and  love-lorn  elegies.  Green,  Byles,  Osborn,  God- 
frey, and  Pratt. 139 

LECTURE  X. 

The  state  of  American  poetry  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolution. 
Hopkins,  Dwight,  Barlow,  Humphreys,  Hopkinson,  Trumbull,  Freneau. 
Sewell,  Linn.  Lathrop,  Paine,  Prentiss,  Boyd,  Clifton,  Isaac  Story,  Allen, 
Osborn,  Spence,  Brainard.  A  prepared  supplement  to  Gray's  Elegy. 
Reason  for  not  mentioning  living  poets.  Change  of  opinion  on  the  possi- 
bility of  uniting  ornament  with  strength  in  our  prose  writing.  Our  own 
country  as  good  for  poetry  as  any  other,  and  our  own  citizens  as  poeti- 

<**•       '--Mr-Win  -  «•  '.-^•'1.',"'> •":'.''"('    -     -     -      163 

LECTURE  XL 

The  fine  arts  of  a  later  growth  than  poetry  j  the  causes.  The  artists  who 
were  bom  or  nourished  in  America.  Smybert,  Copley,  West,  Johnson, 
Hancock.  Stuart,  a  portrait  Malbone.  Trumbull,  a  short  memoir.  De- 
scription of  his  four  pictures,  the  property  of  the  United  States.  Stan- 
dard painting.  Engraving.  Sculpture.  .....  189 

LECTURE  XII. 

The  faculty  of  speech  the  prerogative  of  man ;  and  eloquence  at  all  times  his 
boast  The  eloquence  of  Aaron.  Its  uses  in  all  times  and  nations.  In- 
dian history  is  full  of  the  passion  for  eloquence.  The  Winnebagoes ;  their 
speeches.  The  eloquence  of  Tecumseh.  The  varieties  of  eloquence. 
First,  second,  and  third  orders  of  public  speaking.  The  great  opportunities 
in  our  free  country  for  becoming  good  speakers ;  the  pulpit,  the  bar,  and 


8  CONTENTS. 

the  numerous  publick  assemblies,  so  many  schools  for  learning  the  art  of 
speaking.  The  eloquence  in  Congress.  Our  language  not  patrimonial, 
but  maternal,  by  a  just  discrimination  in  forming  the  word  to  describe  it. 
The  vernacular.  The  eloquence  of  our  early  ages.  A  sketch  of  a  few  of 
our  orators  of  a  later  period.  Patrick  Henry,  Mr.  Madison,  John  Adams, 
Alexander  Hamilton,  Gouverneur  Morris,  Fisher  Ames,  Samuel  Phillips, 
Samuel  Dexter,  Pinckney ;  with  attempts  to  mark  the  style  of  each  as  far 
as  a  slight  sketch  would  convey  their  different  manners.  -  -  209 

LECTURE  XIII. 

Our  military  character.  The  wars  the  colonies  were  engaged  in.  Character 
of  King  Philip.  Exploit  of  Mrs.  Duston.  The  attack  on  Norridgewock. 
Lovewell's  fight.  The  sufferings  of  Virginia.  The  numerous  attacks  or 
preparations  for  attack  on  Canada.  The  affair  of  Louisbourg.  The  suc- 
ceeding events.  Braddock's  defeat.  Johnson's  fight.  Montcalm,  on  Lake 
George.  The  Indian  Chief  Hendrick.  Shirley.  Abercrombie,  Lord 
Howe.  Amherst,  Wolfe.  The  close  of  that  war.  The  revolutionary  war. 
The  people  loyal ;  the  pangs  of  separation,  the  awful  opening  of  the  great 
drama  of  the  revolution.  The  battle  of  Bunker  HilL  Death  of  Warren. 
The  uses  of  the  blood  spilt.  The  necessity  of  being  provided  for  war  to 
prevent  it,  ft  -H  «,;._,. 227 

LECTURE  XTV. 

Washington's  first  appearance  at  the  head  of  the  army.  The  veneration  he  was 
held  in.  The  expedition  to  Quebeck,  daring  and  hazardous.  Washington's 
character  developed  at  the  battle  of  Trenton  and  Princeton.  The  taking 
of  Burgoyne.  A  sketch  of  him.  The  battles  which  followed  as  showing 
their  bearing  upon  events,  and  as  showing  the  character  of  the  American 
people.  The  debt  the  present  generation  owe  the  past.  How  the  hero  should 
be  rewarded  when  living,  and  honoured  when  dead.  What  was  prepared  to 
be  done,  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  Washington.  Hale,  the  martyr. 
Pulaski.  Kosciusko.  L'Enfant.  Daniel  Boone.  West  Point.  -  243 
LECTURE  XV. 

The  naval  character  of  our  country.  Its  earliest  beginnings.  The  naval 
force  at  the  capture  of  Louisbourg,  as  taken  from  ancient  documents.  The 
exertion  for  a  naval  force  in  Massachusetts.  In  Congress.  Washington's 
prompt  conduct  in  regard  to  captures.  The  great  success  of  the  American 
navy.  The  probable  number  of  vessels  captured.  A  few  of  our  naval 
heroes  of  that  age  mentioned.  The  close  of  this  war.  The  resuscitation 
of  the  navy  arising  from  commercial  enterprise.  The  proceedings  in  Con- 
gress, 1794.  The  quasi  war  of  1798.  The  doings  of  our  navy  at  that 
time.  Truxton,  Shaw,  and  others.  The  reduction  of  the  navy  in  1801. 
Its  immediate  increase  for  the  war  of  Tripoli.  Remarks  upon  that ;  some 
of  those  distinguished  mentioned.  The  certainty  of  our  continuing  to  be  a 
maritime  people,  and  keeping  up  a  navy,  drawn  from  the  deep  rooted  par- 
tiality seen  for  this  kind  of  defence  in  every  expression  of  publick  senti- 
ment.   266 

Postscript 286 

Appendix.     ...........        289 


LECTURE  I. 


Words  are  things." 

Mirabcau. 


ALMOST  every  thing  the  people  of  the  United  States  now  possess, 
has  grown  from  their  own  sagacity,  industry,  and  perseverance. 
The  little  patrimony  they  had,  has  been  multiplied  ten  thousand 
fold ;  for  they^have  been  blessed  by  a  kind  providence,  in  their  bas- 
ket and  their  store.  Their  institutions,  if  in  some  measure  copied 
from  those  of  other  countries,  have  been  modelled  to  suit  the  genius 
and  habits  of  the  people,  and  have  been  changed  and  enlarged  to  cor- 
respond with  the  growth  of  the  nation.  Their  language  alone  is 
theirs  by  inheritance.  They  received  it  from  their  progenitors,  and 
have  kept  it  unpolluted  and  unchanged.  It  has  been  in  different  ages 
here  a  little  modified,  as  in  England,  to  be  a  more  explicit  me- 
dium of  thought ;  and  taste  and  eunhony  have,  at  times,  made  some 
exertions  to  drop  one  class  of  words  and  assume  another;  but  they 
have  destroyed  none ;  and  as  occasion  requires,  those  left  out  of 
fashionable  use,  for  a  season,  have,  after  a  while,  been  called  up  and 
restored  to  their  former  places  in  good  company. 

From  the  extension  of  commercial  relations,  and  from  the  nu- 
merous conquests  of  the  mother  country,  it  would  have  been  natural 
to  expect  that  her  language  would  have,  in  process  of  time,  become 
somewhat  a  different  one  from  that  of  her  colonies  in  this  country : 
but  our  commerce  has  followed  hers  so  closely,  and  we  have  had  so 
entirely  the  benefit  of  her  mass  of  literature  as  soon  as  it  was  known 
to  her  own  people,  that  the  first  adoption  of  a  foreign  word,  or  the 
slightest  change  in  the  use  of  one  of  her  old  stock,  has  been  noticed 
on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic ;  and  we  have  wisely  followed  the  public 
taste  of  the  mother  country,  nor  vainly  thought  that  it  would  be 
wisdom  to  struggle  for  an  independency  in  letters,  as  far  as  they 
regarded  the  use  of  our  vernacular^  This  language  was  our  birth- 
right as  Englishmen,  and  its  preservation  in  its  purity  clearly 
shows  how  much  we  value  it.  The  language  that  is  addressed 
to  the  ear  alone  is  soon  changed  or  lost,  but  that  which  is  ad- 
dressed to  the  eye  as  well  as  the  ear,  is  long  preserved  by  a  twofold 
impression  upon  the  mind.  The  sight  is  more  faithful  than  the  ear, 
and  preserves  her  knowledge  longer ;  both  are  necessary  to  keep  a 
2 


10  LECTURES  ON 

language  alive  in  its  purity.  TThe  study  of  the  language  of  a  people 
is  one  of  the  best  methods  of  sounding  the  depths  of  their  know- 
ledge, and  of  measuring  their  advancement  in  arts  and  arms,  and  oi 
ascertaining  the  nature  of  their  general  pursuits  and  habits ;  and 
perhaps  it  may  not  be  going  too  far  to  say,  that  geographical  po- 
sitions may  be  known  by  the  exfhnination  of  a  nation's  vocabulary 
alone.  The  soft  air  of  Italy  and  France  has  given,  in  a  long  suc- 
cession of  years,  by  natural  causes,  operating  upon  body  and  mind, 
and  which  might  be  easily  analyzed,  if  we  would  take  the  pains  to 
do  it,  a  delicious  sweetness  to  the  tones  of  the  human  voice,  a  me- 
lody to  the  sounds  of  words,  and  a  harmony  in  the  construction  of 
sentences,  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  colder  regions  of  the  north 
can  never  know  among  themselves.  This  principle  is  tested  by  the 
still  softer  and  more  musical  notes  of  the  West  India  Creoles.  With 
them  almost  every  word  is  vitiated  in  pronunciation,  and  reduced 
to  a  sort  of  infantile  imbecility,  yet  it  is  most  musical.  The  Eng- 
lish language  has  not  with  us,  generally  speaking,  been  deeply 
studied  by  those  who  use  it,  either  for  the  common  business  of 
life,  or  by  those  who  make  it  a  vehicle  of  matters  of  high  import 
in  enlightening  and  directing  their  countrymen. 

English  etymology  has  not,  until  lately,  been  a  part  of  a  classical 
education.  Our  scholars  have  been  content  to  take,  and  use,  words 
as  they  found  them,  sanctioned  by  good  writers,  without  much  en- 
quiry into  their  derivations,  or  primitive  significations;  nor  is  it  my 
object  to  go  further  in  these  remarks  than  to  show,  that  we  have 
kept  a  constant  watch  over  our  mother  tongue,  and  if  we  have 
sometimes,  after  great  English  models,  laboured  to  sink  many  of  the 
good  old  words  of  our  language,  and  to  supply  their  places  by  those 
formed  from  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  yet  that  we  were  ready, 
from  taste  and  judgement,  to  go  back  again,  and  take  those  dis- 
carded, home-bred  words  of  strong  meaning  and  peculiar  fitness, 
whenever  the  established  writers  have  led  the  way.  Several  mo- 
dern scholars  have  shewn  us  the  force,  precision,  and  even  beauty 
of  our  old  English,  and  we  hail  this  returning  to  the  homestead  as 
an  unfailing  sign  of  good  judgement.  I  have  thrown  together  a  few 
observations  upon  our  language,  to  induce  the  English  scholar  to 
examine  the  treasures  he  is  in  possession  of,  and  to  shew  the  reader, 
that  if  our  fathers'  style  does  not  always  suit  the  present  taste,  yet 
that  they  were  masters  of  their  vernacular,  as  well  as  deeply  read  in 
the  learned  languages.  And  this  I  shall  do,  not  by  pointing  out  par- 
ticular passages,  but  by  calling  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  the  ge- 
neral tenour  of  their  works. 

It  is  the  belief  of  the  learned,  that  all  languages  had  a  common  ori- 
gin] for  there  are  words  in  all  the  languages  they  have  examined, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  11 

which  bear  relationship  to  each  other.  Sometimes  the  resemblance 
or  kindred  features  are  near  and  strong,  at  other  times  remote,  but 
containing  such  resemblances  as  cannot  be  mistaken:  and  until  some 
other  account  more  satisfactory  is  given  by  some  retrospective  seer, 
I  am  willing  to  take  the  account  given  by  Moses  of  the  confusion  of 
tongues,  as  sufficiently  true  to  answer  the  phenomenon  which  has 
no  other  solution.  I  am  a  lover  of  words,  for  I  do  not  believe  that 
there  can  be  much  reasoning  of  a  moral  nature  without  them;  and 
sure  I  am,  that  no  man  ever  despised  the  science  of  words  who  un- 
derstood it  to  any  considerable  extent.  It  may  be  true,  that  the  mind 
may  be  so  much  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  various  tongues  as  to  en- 
feeble its  force  in  more  severe  studies;  but  the  literary  world  exhibits 
so  few  instances  of  this  nature,  that  we  need  not  fear  the  effects  of  a 
pretty  liberal  attention  to  the  languages;  certainly,  a  careful  exami- 
nation of  our  mother  tongue  will  not  be  thought  improper  by  those 
who  object  to  the  attention  paid  to  the  learned  languages.  The 
origin,  the  history,  the  sweetness,  the  copiousness,  the  force  and  ma- 
jesty, and  importance  of  the  English  language,  are  subjects  worthy 
the  attention  of  the  English  scholar  in  our  country  at  the  present 
day,  when  so  many  facilities  are  offered  him  for  the  study  of  it; 
such  facilities,  that  one  may  learn  more  in  six  months  upon  this 
branch  of  knowledge  now,  than  he  could  have  done  in  ten  years  if  he 
had  commenced  half  a  century  ago. 

The  language  of  the  ancient  Britons,  from  the  time  they  were  first 
known  to  the  Romans,  was  Teutonic,  or  Scythian.  The  people  were 
rude  and  fierce,  and  their  language  had  the  same  cast  of  character, 
as  far  as  we  know  any  thing  about  it.  When  Julius  Ca3sar  first 
landed  on  the  shores  of  Albion,  the  people  exhibited  the  highest 
traits  of  courage,  and  met  the  polished  armour  of  the  skilful  Roman 
soldiers  in  dauntless  nakedness.  From  this  time,  which  was  before 
the  Christian  era,  until  the  conquest  ^f  Alarie,  more  than  four  centu- 
ries these  rude  people  were  instructed  by  the  Romans  in  arts  and  arms. 
The  sons  of  the  native  kings  and  chiefs  were  taught  the  philosophi- 
cal and  polished  language  of  their  conquerors;  and  this  instruction 
was  pursued  and  enforced  as  a  mean  of  bringing  the  Britons  to  a 
state  of  quietude  and  obedience.  During  this  time  many  of  the 
Roman  words  had  found  their  way  into  the  native  language,  or  at 
least  those  formed  from  the  Latin  were  in  use.  This  is  more  evi- 
dent in  the  names  of  places,  perhaps,  than  in  any  other  class  of  words. 
Those  Britons  who  acquired  the  Latin,  wrote  the  native  language  in 
the  Roman  character,  as  we  now  write  the  Indian  dialects,  or  differ- 
ent languages  of  the  several  tribes,  in  the  same  character  at  this  day. 
If  the  Scythians  brought  letters  with  them  from  Asia,  they  had  pro- 
bably been  lost ;  or  if  any  relic  of  them  was  left,  they  were  only  used 


12  LECTURES  ON 

as  a  sort  of  a  Cabala,  as  the  fragments  of  some  languages  were  by 
the  Druids— such  as  by  them  were  called  Runic  characters,  some- 
thing out  of  which  to  make  a  charm. 

About  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  (449)  the  Saxons  made  their 
first  invasion,  of  any  importance,  of  the  island  of  Britain.  Soon 
after  Hengist  gamed  a  foothold,  Horsa  followed;  and  Cedric  and 
other  invaders  took  the  same  course;  but  it  was  not  until  after  a 
lapse  of  many  years,  that  the  island  was  conquered ;  and  then,  not 
from  the  strength  of  the  invaders,  but  from  the  dissensions  of  the 
natives.  This  conquest  was,  however,  a  blessing ;  for,  notwithstand- 
ing the  Saxons  were  barbarous  as  well  as  the  Britons,  yet  they  were 
a  fearless,  roaming  race  of  men,  who  had  made  more  improvements 
in  the  arts  of  life  than  the  ancient  Britons,  and  their  habits  of  think- 
ing were  more  enlarged  and  approximated  nearer  to  civilized  life 
than  those  of  the  natives  of  the  island.  The  laws  and  institutions 
of  the  Saxons  were  of  a  higher  mental  character  than  those  of  most 
other  nations  then  about  them  on  the  continent;  but  the  Saxons  re- 
cieved  3  vast  accession  to  their  stock  of  knowledge,  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  Christianity  into  the  island  in  596,  through  the  auspices  of 
Pope  Gregory,  a  most  benevolent  representative  of  Saint  Peter. 
This  father  of  the  Church  sent  the  learned  and  pious  Augustin  on  a 
mission  to  Britain,  who  after  many  struggles  succeeded  in  diffusing 
the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  amongst  them,  and  in  inspiring  a  taste 
for  learning,  and  the  arts  of  industry,  and  social  life.  If  not  before, 
certainly  at  this  time,  the  Saxon  tongue  became  a  written  one,  and 
was  soon  expanded  and  improved  by  the  attentive  study  of  it  among 
those  ecclesiastics,  who  wished  to  diffuse  through  it  the  knowledge 
of  the  scriptures,  until  then  a  sealed  book  to  the  Saxons,  and  then 
pply  partially  opened. 

About  ninety  years  after  'tKe  introduction  of  Christianity  into  the 
island  of  Britain,  Alfred  the  wise,  of  Northumbria,  began  his  reign, 
He  had  passed  his  youthful  days,  when  by  the  death  of  his  brother 
he  came  to  the  throne  of  his  fathw.  His  early  years,  and  many  of 
his  riper  ones,  had  been  spent  in  study  in  the  cloisters  of  Ireland, 
whose  ecclesiastics  were  then  more  learned  than  all  those  on  the  con- 
tinent, if  we  except  a  few  in  Italy.  The  Irish  institutions  of  learn- 
ing at  this  period  furnished  professors  for  those  of  France,  Ger- 
many, and  many  other  places.  Alfred,  when  in  possession  of  power, 
did  not  forget  his  taste  for  letters,  but  gathered  about  him  as  many 
learned  men  as  he  could  obtain.  Adhelm,  a  West-Saxon  poet,  wrote 
for  his  instruction  and  amusement  "  Flowers  of  the  Bible,"  probably 
a  sort  of  dramatic  paraphrase  on  some  portions  of  scripture ;  and  also 
treated  his  royal  patron  with  some  touches  of  the  philosophy  of  that 
age.  The  wise  king  bent  his  mind  to  improving  his  people  and 


AMERlfcAN  LITERATURE.  13 

their  language  at  the  same  time,  and  shone  conspicuously  as  a  firm 
supporter  of  Christianity  and  letters.  He  was  the  first  to  give  a  re- 
lish for  these  pursuits  to  his  nobles,  who  had  hitherto  found  no  de- 
light but  in  war,  or  the  chase. 

The  improvement  of  the  Saxon  tongue  was,  generally  speaking, 
constantly  going  on,  although  the  knowledge  of  the  Latin  had 
greatly  declined  from  the  time  of  Alfred  the  wise,  until  the  time 
of  Alfred  the  great,  who  was  born  in  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
nine.  This  monarch  fills  a  wider  space  in  the  Saxon  history  than 
all  his  predecessors,  or  those  Saxon  kings  who  came  after  him,  al- 
tho  ugh  his  grandson  was  quite  as  great  a  man  as  himself.  Alfred  was 
a  pet  child  ofhis  father,  who  took  his  son  to  Rome  when  he  was  quite 
young,  and  brought  him  to  France  also,  when  Athelwelph,  the  father, 
married  Judith  the  daughter  of  Charles  of  France;  but  in  all  these 
journeyings  the  young  Alfred  had  never  learned  to  read.  It  was  his 
fond  step-dame  who  set  about  this  task,  and  succeeded  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  making  him  one  of  the  greatest  scholars  of  that  age. 
He  sought  learned  and  good  men  from  Ireland,  France,  and  in  his 
own  country,  and  commencing  with  the  poetry  of  his  own  language, 
which  had  taken  fast  hold  of  his  affections  when  young,  he  pursued 
it,  until  he  had  exhausted  all  the  ballads  and  legends  which  were 
written  in  Saxon,  and  then  set  about  enlarging  the  narrow  limits  of 
the  Saxon  muses,  by  compositions  of  his  own,  which,  hi  fact,  sur- 
passed in  excellence  all  the  poetry  of  his  country,  as  he  did  his  pre- 
decessors in  civilization  and  knowledge.  He  was  not  content  with 
this,  but  learned  the  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew,  and  assisted  to  bring 
the  rich  treasures  of  these  repositories  of  wisdom  into  his  own  mar- 
ket for  the  supply  of  his  own  people,  and  the  refinement  of  his  own 
court.  He  was  not  a  mere  book-worm  neither,  for  he  was  as  ready 
to  fight  as  to  write ;  to  enforce  laws  as  to  make  them.  He  was  no 
pedant,  but  the  great  instructor  of  his  people,  anticipating  ages  by 
the  power  ofhis  understanding,  and  the  reach  ofhis  genius.  Insti- 
tutions of  learning  arose  under  his  fostering  care.  The  son  of  Al- 
fred, Edward  the  elder,  was  not  a  whit  behind  his  father  in  his  atten- 
tion to  the  encouragement  of  learning,  but  having  a  regular  educa- 
tion, there  was  no  necessity  for  such  efforts  as  were  made  by  his 
father;  and  the  infant  institutions  his  father  established  were  in  a 
flourishing  state.  The  son  of  Edward,  Athelstan,  was  a  more  pow- 
erful Prince  than  his  father  or  grandfather  had  been,  and  extended 
his  intercourse  with  the  world  more  widely.  The  monastic  institu- 
tions which  Alfred  founded,  Athelstan  endowed,  and  gave  them 
books  collected  from  every  country  to  which  he  had  access.  What- 
ever we  may  think  of  monasteries  now,  they  were  the  protectors 
&nd  preservers  of  all  the  learning  of  antiquity,  and  the  faithful 
B 


14  LECTURES  ON 

trustees  of  all  the  knowledge  committed  to  their  care  when  they 
were  first  created.  Through  several  changes  of  fortune,  now 
smiled  upon  by  Edward  the  Confessor,  and  then  neglected  by  his 
ambitious  successors,  learning  flourished  or  declined  in  the  more 
public  institutions  until  the  invasion  of  William  the  conqueror;  but 
it  was  not  often  that  contemplation  was  disturbed  in  the  convent's 
shades,  for  ages  after  his  accession  to  the  throne  of  England.  Here, 
indeed, 

"  The  little,  fat,  round  oily  man  of  God," 

laughed,  slept,  or  idled  life  away;  "  but  these  deep  solitudes  and 
awful  cells,"  contained  men  of  true  piety  and  profound  learning; 
and  to  whose  industry  and  wisdom  we  are  now  indebted  for  much 
of  our  present  advancement  in  knowledge. 

In  1066  William  defeated  Harold,  and  became  king  of  England. 
His  triumph  was  so  complete  that  a  sudden  revolution  was  made  in 
the  information,  taste,  and  pursuits  of  men  in  that  island.  It  was 
natural  for  him  to  think  his  Norman  language,  uncouth  and  rough 
as  it  was,  greatly  superior  to  that  of  the  Saxon,  which  he  did  not 
understand.  The  Church  and  convent,  and  perhaps  court  records, 
which  had  been  kept  in  Latin,  were  now  in  many  instances  ordered 
to  be  in  Norman.  The  ballad  makers  who  flocked  round  the  con- 
queror sung  his  praises  in  the  Norman  measure  and  language,  and 
even  the  deeds  of  former  kings,  whose  praises  had  for  ages  been 
echoed  in  pure  Saxon,  were  now  sung  in  the  rude  rhymes  of  the 
minstrels  of  the  Conqueror:  and  such  was  the  influence  of  the  new 
order  of  things,  that  in  the  course  of  half  a  century  the  pure  Saxon 
was  no  longer  to  be  found  in  England;  and  a  new  language,  the  be- 
ginning of  what  is  now  our  vernacular  tongue,  grew  up  there. 
Ellis,  a  learned  writer  on  these  subjects,  says  this  was  effected  in  the 
course  of  forty  years  after  the  conquest,  and  that  this  change  in  the 
language  of  England  was  completely  brought  about  in  this  time; 
but  we  should  be  nearer  the  truth,  I  imagine,  if  we  should  allow 
nearly  a  century  for  this  transformation.  The  language  was  indeed 
changed  to  the  eye  and  the  ear;  but  still  a  great  proportion  of  all  its 
elements  remained,  and  will  forever  remain,  a  strong  proof  that  in 
all  the  permanent  improvements  in  civilization  and  knowledge,  the 
Saxons  were  greatly  in  advance  of  their  conquerors.  This  change 
assisted  the  advancement  of  knowledge ;  for  language  when  advanced 
towards  perfection,  is  the  most  labour-saving  machine  that  ever  in- 
genuity attempted  to  invent.  The  scanty  words  found  in  a  primi- 
tive language  are  inadequate  to  the  conveyance  of  refined  or  extend- 
ed thought.  By  these  simple  elements  the  nice  shades  of  difference 
in  thought  could  be  no  more  than  indicated,  not  fully  conveyed  by 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  Id 

the  words  written;  therefore  much  was  left  to  the  imagination  of 
readers,  which  was  supplied  when  language  was  only  spoken,  by 
the  looks,  gestures,  and  accents  of  the  speaker;  hence  arose  the  su- 
periority, in  the  early  times,  of  eloquence  over  written  compositions. 
The  oral  communication  was  then  a  better  method  of  conveying 
ideas  than  the  record,  however  fully  exemplified  by  the  scanty  lan- 
guage then  in  use,  without  taking  into  consideration  the  charm  there 
has  always  been  in  a  well  toned  and  well  regulated  voice. 

As  language  improved  and  expanded,  the  noun  and  the  verb,  the 
first  elements  of  language,  were  found  insufficient,  with  all  their  de- 
clinations and  inflections,  to  convey  thought  accurately  and  forcibly. 
The  connecting  links,  the  qualifying  terms,  the  affirmations  and  ne- 
gations, with  the  prefixes  and  affixes,  to  increase,  change,  or  qualify 
the  power  of  the  words,  were  sought  for,  and  obtained;  sometimes 
by  a  happy  hit,  which  by  frequent  repetitions  in  time  became  usage, 
and  usage  law ;  or  by  the  elaborate  reasonings  of  the  scholar  upon 
the  doctrines  of  analogies,  or  the  principles  of  an  easy  composition 
or  arrangement  of  sentences.  Sometimes  the  understanding  direct- 
ed in  this  work  of  composition  and  structure  of  language,  but  oftener 
the  ear ;  and  when  at  times  the  wise  and  the  learned  reasoned  and 
laid  down  the  rule,  the  great  mass  of  the  people  changed  it  for  eu- 
phony sake,  and  the  learned  at  length  came  into  the  same  use;  for 
custom  is  the  despot  over  language.  In  the  laws  of  language,  as 
well  as  in  those  of  national  policy,  the  people,  after  all,  are  the  revi- 
sing tribunals;  not  by  their  sudden  impulses,  but  by  the  sober  reflec- 
tion of  years;  and  even  their  own  opinions  are  revised  by  their  own 
experience. 

The  English  literature  received  its  share  of  the  acquisitions  of 
learning  made  by  the  crusaders;  and  the  language  of  course  was 
greatly  benefitted  by  the  taste  which  these  heroic  adventurers  awa- 
kened and  cherished.  In  these  epochs  of  delicacy  and  refinement, 
many  of  the  coarse  words  were  disused,  and  those  better  chosen  and 
more  appropriate  became  fashionable.  The  English  language  gained 
much  from  the  days  of  Chaucer  to  those  of  Spencer;  and  more  by 
the  taste  of  Shakspeare  than  by  any  other  person. 

It  is  a  matter  of  some  singularity  that  so  little  of  the  Saxon  lan- 
guage is  known  by  our  scholars,  when  on  a  strict  examination  we 
find  that  our  poets  and  prose  writers  have  used  so  many  words 
derived  from  the  Saxon.  In  Shakspeare,  taking  out  the  proper 
names,  eight  words  out  of  nine  are  found  to  be  of  Saxon  origin,  as 
exemplified  by  several  quotations  taken  promiscuously  from  the 
works  of  the  great  dramatist.  Milton,  tried  by  the  same  rule,  would 
give  the  proportion  of  six  out  of  seven.  Johnson's  works,  as  he 
coined  Latin  words  and  used  them  freely,  about  five  sixths  are  Saxon. 


16  LECTURES  ON 

In  our  translation  of  the  Bible,  and  the  writings  of  Addison  and 
Goldsmith,  and  other  writers  of  simplicity  and  purity,  the  propor- 
tion of  words  of  Saxon  origin  is  still  greater  than  in  Shakspeare  or 
Milton.  Our  own  declaration  of  Independence,  and  many  other 
American  productions,  are  written  in  the  style  which  contains  a  great 
proportion  of  these  words  of  pure  Saxon  origin.  I  will  give  a  few 
specimens  of  the  use  of  Saxon  words  among  our  best  writers;  fair 
samples  of  their  style,  and  the  use  of  good  old  English.  The  Saxon 
words  are  in  italics. 

But  no  I  the  freshness  of  that  past  shall  still 

Sacred  to  memory's  holiest  musings  be  ; 

When  through  the  ideal  fields  of  song  at  -witty 

He  roved,  and  gathered  chaplets  wild  with  thee; 

When,  reckless  of  the  world,  alone  and  free, 

Like  two  proud  barks,  we  kept  our  careless  way, 

That  sail  by  moonlight  o'er  the  tranquil  sea  ; 

Their  white  apparel  and  their  streamers  gay, 

Bright  gleaming  o'er  the  main,  beneath  the  ghostly  fay. 


While  thus  the  shepherds  watch'd  the  host  of  night, 
O'er  heaven's  blue  concave  flash'd  a  sudden  light, 
The  unrolling  glory  spread  its  folds  divine, 
O'er  the  green  hills  and  vales  of  Palestine ; 
And  lo  !  descending  angels  hovering  there, 
Stretch'd  their  loose  icings,  and  in  the  purple  air 
Hung  o'er  the  sleepless  guardians  of  the  fold: 
When  that  high  anthem  clear,  and  strong  and  bold, 
On  wary  paths  of  trembling  ether  ran: 
Glory  to  God — Benevolence  to  man — 

Peace  to  the  world. 

P1ERPONT. 

A  good  man's  piety  and  virtue  are  not  distinct  possessions  ;  they  are  him- 
self, and  all  the  glory  which  belongs  to  them  belongs  to  himself.  llliatisre- 
ligion?  not  a  foreign  inhabitant,  not  something  alien  to  our  nature,  which 
comes  and  takes  up  its  abode  in  the  soul.  It  is  the  soul  itself,  lifting  itself  up 
to  its  maker .  What  is  virtue?  It  is  the  soul  listening  to,  and  revering  and 
obeying,  a  law,  which  belongs  to  its  very  essence,  the  law  of  duty.  We  some- 
times smile  when  we  hear  men  decrying  human  nature,  and  in  the  same 
breathing  exalting  religion  to  the  skies,  as  if  religion  were  anything  more  than 
human  nature,  acting  in  obedience  to  its  chief  law. 

CHANNINO. 

There  are  some  poems  in  the  Saxon  language  which  strongly 
show  the  rude,  bold,  and  superstitious  character  of  the  Saxons  before 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  17 

Christianity  was  introduced  among  them,  or  had  generally  spread 
through  the  island.  The  Volupsa,  the  sybil  of  the  Saxons  was  called 
Vola,  is  a  poem  given  in  an  English  translation  by  Turner,  from 
whom,  with  Bede,  Ellis,  Tooke,  and  Campbell,  I  have  derived  much 
of  my  information  on  this  subject  of  Saxon  literature.  It  is  a  rhap- 
sody on  the  creation  according  to  the  Saxon  notions  of  it,  and  the 
first  lessons  of  wisdom  given  to  man  from  his  maker.  The  succes- 
sive generations,  with  their  history,  are  introduced,  but  only  as  a 
landscape  is  seen  by  the  transitory  flashes  of  the  lightning  amid  the 
darkness  of  the  storm.  The  Welch  wrote  at  the  same  time  with 
abruptness,  and  threw  the  fire  and  fanaticism  of  their  Druids  into 
the  form  of  some  wild  and  magic  strain. 

True  poetry  cannot  exist  until  there  is  a  considerable  degree  of 
mental  cultivation  in  the  bard  who  makes  it.  Men  must  think  and 
feel,  and  reason,  too,  from  cause  to  effect,  before  any  delicacies  of 
poetry  can  be  developed ;  but  the  strong  ebullitions  of  genius  raving 
to  soar  to  the  regions  of  light  and  futurity,  are  scattered  through  the 
early  ages  of  poetry;  and  time  gives  these  productions,  perhaps,  an 
interest  beyond  their  real  merits.  ; 

The  English  language  is  now  so /enriched  from  the  sources  I  have 
mentioned,  and  other  sources  more  recondite,  and  also  from  some 
more  recently  made  contributions  to  our  stock  of  words,  particularly 
in  terms  of  banking,  trade,  and  revenue,  that  it  may  challenge  any 
other  language  to  show  more  words  of  clear  and  definite  significa- 
tions, than  we  have  legitimatized  and  secured.  The  terms  of  art 
are  every  day  increasing,  as  well  as  those  of  the  sciences,  and  are 
constantly  added  for  common  use  to  our  vocabulary.  These,  in  ge- 
neral, have  been  formed  by  new  applications  of  old  words  to  the 
subjects,  or  by  new  compounds  made  to  convey  the  idea  of  the  use 
of  the  invention. 

The  English  language  is  full  of  strength.  There  are  no  feeble 
words  in  it,  such  as  are  often  made  by  an  effeminate  people;  but 
every  part  of  the  fabric  is  of  good  old  materials  or  approved  new 
ones.  There  is  no  thought,  or  shade  of  a  thought,  that  the  English 
language  is  not  capable  of  conveying  to  the  mind,  if  used  by  a  judi- 
cious, learned,  and  spirited  writer.  In  the  use  of  language  to  gain, 
or  to  defend  a  point,  much  depends  upon  the  skill  and  judgement  of 
the  writer  or  speaker.  The  vocabulary  of  angels  would  fail  to  pro- 
pagate a  thought,  that  would  wake  the  genius  or  mend  the  heart, 
in  the  mouth  of  dulness  or  apathy.  The  soul  of  the  writer  or 
speaker  must  breathe  into  his  language  the  breath  of  life.  The 
earthly  particles  must  be  melted,  as  it  were,  into  the  ethereal,  to  give 
a  composition  the  spirit  of  intelligence  and  genius.  The  following 
extracts,  the  first  from  Shakspeare,  and  the  other  from  Milton,  show 
B2  3 


18  LECTURES  ON 

the  natural  strength  of  the  English  language;  for  without  any  ap- 
parent effort,  or  artful  selection,  the  words  admirably  convey  the 
elevated  thoughts  which  the  authors  had  in  their  minds,  and  intend- 
ed to  put  into  an  imperishable  form. 

"  The  cloud-capt  towers,  the  gorgeous  palaces, 
The  solemn  temples,  the  great  globe  itself; 
Yea,  all  which  it  inherit,  shall  dissolve, 
And,  like  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision, 

Leave  not  a  wreck  behind." 

Tempest,  Act  iv.  Scene  4. 

"  For  in  those  days  might  only  shall  be  admir'd, 
And  valour  an  heroic  virtue  call'd : 
To  overcome  in  battle,  and  subdue 
Nations,  and  bring  home  spoils  with  infinite 
Manslaughter,  shall  be  held  the  highest  pitch 
Of  human  glory,  and  for  glory  done 
Of  triumph,  to  be  styl'd  great  conquerors, 
Patrons  of  mankind,  gods,  and  sons  of  gods, 
Destroyers  rightlier  call'd,  and  plagues  of  men. 
Thus  fame  shall  be  achieved,  renown  on  earth, 
And  what  most  merits  fame  in  silence  hid." 

Milton,  b.  xi. 

The  beauty  of  the  English  language  is  conspicuous  in  English 
poetry  and  prose.  It  is  fortunate  for  our  vernacular,  that  the  lan- 
guage of  poetry  does  not  differ,  except  in  a  few  words,  and  perhaps 
hi  no  one,  from  our  prose;  for  in  such  a  formation  of  language,  all 
that  is  gained  in  the  interchange  with  other  nations  in  prose,  is 
transferred  to  verse;  and  all  that  is  created  or  refined  by  verse,  is 
given  over  to  prose,  after  due  trial  and  final  judgement  of  its  use  or 
beauty,  at  the  tribunal  of  public  criticism.  The  following  poem  is 
a  specimen  of  that  powerful,  graceful  beauty,  which  excites  admira- 
tion for  its  elegance,  and  respect  for  its  strength.  It  seems  to  rome 
upon  us  with  that  calmness  and  divinity  which  it  describes  in  the 
god  of  wisdom  and  taste,  in  his  easy  victory  over  the  Python. 
What  a  beautiful  fable  this  is;  it  was  made  to  show  how  easily  re- 
finement and  wisdom  can  overcome  and  destroy  that  monster  of  the 
literary  world— a  depraved  taste. 

PRIZE  POEM.— THE  BELVIDERE  APOLLO.    (1812.) 

"  HKABD  ye  the  arrow  hurtle  in  the  sky! 
Heard  ye  the  dragon  monster's  deathful  cry? 
In  settled  majesty  of  fierce  disdain, 
Proud  of  his  might,  yet  scornful  of  the  slain, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  10 

The  heavenly  archer  stands— no  human  birth, 

No  perishable  denizen  of  earth! 

Youth  blooms  immortal  in  his  beardless  face, 

A  god  in  strength,  with  more  than  god-like  grace! 

All,  all  divine — no  struggling  muscle  glows, 

Through  heaving  vein  no  mantling  life-blood  flows ; 

But  animate  with  deity  alone, 

In  deathless  glory  lives  the  breathing  stone. 

Bright-kindling  with  a  conqueror's  stem  delight, 
His  keen  eye  tracks  the  arrow's  fateful  flight ; 
Burns  his  indignant  cheek  with  vengeful  fire, 
And  his  lip  quivers  with  insulting  ire ; 
Finn-fix'd  his  tread,  yet  light,  as  when  on  high 
He  walks  the  impalpable  and  pathless  sky ; 
The  rich  luxuriance  of  his  hair,  confined 
In  graceful  ringlets,  wantons  on  the  wind, 
That  lifts  in  sport  his  mantles,  drooping  fold, 
Proud  to  display  that  form  of  faultless  mould. 

Mighty  Ephesian!  with  an  eagle's  flight 
Thy  proud  soul  mounted  through  the  fields  of  light, 
Viewed  the  bright  conclave  of  Heaven's  blest  abode, 
And  the  cold  marble  leapt  to  life  a  God : 
Contagious  awe  through  breathless  myriads  ran, 
And  nations  bowed  before  the  work  of  man. 
For  mild  he  seemed  as  in  Elysian  bowers, 
Wasting  in  careless  ease  the  joyous  hours ; 
Haughty,  as  bards  have  sung,  with  princely  sway, 
Curbing  the  fierce  flame-breathing  steeds  of  day ; 
Beauteous  as  vision  seen  in  dreamy  sleep 
By  holy  maid  on  Delphis*  haunted  steep ; 
'Mid  the  dim  twilight  of  the  laurel  grove, 
Too  fair  to  worship,  too  divine  to  love. 

Yet  on  that  form,  in  wild  delirious  trance, 
With  more  than  reverence  gazed  the  maid  of  France ; 
Day  after  day  the  love-sick  dreamer  stood 
With  him  alone,  nor  thought  it  solitude ; 
To  cherish  grief,  her  task,  her  dearest  care, 
Her  one  fond  hope — to  perish — or  despair. 
Oft  as  the  shining  light  her  sight  beguiled, 
Blushing  she  shrunk,  and  thought  the  marble  smiled : 
Oft,  breathless  listening,  heard,  or  seemed  to  hear, 
A  voice  of  musick  melt  upon  the  ear. 
Slowly  she  wan'd,  and  cold  and  senseless  grown, 
Closed  her  dim  eyes,  herself  benumbed  to  stone. 
Yet  love  in  death  a  sickly  strength  supplied, 
Once  more  she  gaz'd,  then  feebly  smiled,  and  died. 


20  LECTURES  ON 

Sweetness  in  a  language  is  intimately  connected  with  beauty. 
Beauty  may  perhaps  consist  without  sweetness;  no  one  of  taste  would 
say  that  the  head  of  Apollo  was  a  sweet  one,  while  all  agree  that  the 
face  of  Venus  is  full  of  sweetness;  yet,  if  beauty  can  exist  without 
sweetness,  the  converse  of  the  proposition  would  be  offensive  to  taste 
and  truth,  to  say  that  sweetness  was  ever  found  without  beauty. 
The  impression  which  beauty  leaves  on  the  mind,  is  pleasure  and  ad- 
miration; but  when  sweetness  is  superadded,  the  charm  is  increas- 
ed to  love  and  rapture.  I  have  mentioned  images  that  strike  the 
senses  to  illustrate  those  which  are  sentimental.  This  is  the  only 
method  by  which  anything  ethereal  can  be  made  to  affect  us  forcibly, 
as  we  are  now  constituted.  The  dirge  in  Cymbeline  is  full  of  sweet- 
ness and  delicacy. 

To  fair  Fidele's  grassy  tomb 

Soft  maids  and  village  hinds  shall  bring 
Each  opening  sweet  of  earliest  bloom, 

And  rifle  all  the  breathing  spring. 

No  wailing  ghost  shall  dare  appear 

To  vex  with  shrieks  this  quiet  grove ; 
But  shepherd  lads  assemble  here, 

And  melting  virgins  own  their  love. 

No  wither' d  witch  shall  here  be  seen ; 

No  goblins  lead  their  nightly  crew ; 
The  female  fays  shall  haunt  the  green, 

And  dress  thy  grave  with  pearly  dew ! 

The  redbreast  oft,  at  evening  hours, 

Shall  kindly  lend  his  little  aid, 
With  hoary  moss,  and  gathered  flowers, 

To  deck  the  ground  where  thou  art  laid. 

When  howling  winds,  and  beating  rain, 

In  tempests  shake  thy  sylvan  cell ; 
Or  'midst  the  chase,  on  every  plain, 

The  tender  thought  on  thee  shall  dwell ; 

Each  lonely  scene  shall  thee  restore ; 

For  thee  the  tear  be  duly  shed ; 
Belov'd,  till  life  can  charm  no  more, 

And  mourn'd,  till  Pity's  self  be  dead. 

The  wailing  ghost — The  withered  witch — The  howling 
winds,  which  at  first  thought  seem  to  injure  the  loveliness  of  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  21 

picture,  form  a  fine  contrast  to  all  the  tender  and  affectionate  images 
which  are  grouped  around  the  grassy  death-bed  of  beauty  and  in- 
nocence. The  effect  of  this  contrast  is  forcibly  seen  in  the  picture 
of  Prospero,  with  the  snow  of  many  winters  upon  his  reverend  head, 
in  the  majesty  of  science  and  wisdom,  and  paternal  affection,  con- 
trasted with  the  manly  youth  of  Ferdinand,  and  the  delicacy  and 
beauty  of  Miranda;  and  the  finishing  of  the  whole  is  the  ugliness 
and  ferocity  of  Sycorax,  with  her  fiend-begotten  Caliban,  "  whose 
nature  nurture  would  not  stick  to." 

The  majesty  of  the  English  language  is  conspicuous  in  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  Akenside : 

"  Look  then  abroad  through  nature,  to  the  range 

Of  planets,  suns,  and  adamantine  spheres, 

Wheeling  unshaken  through  the  void  immense ; 

And  speak,  O  man !  doea  this  capacious  scene 

With  half  that  kindling  majesty  dilate 

Thy  strong  conception,  as  when  Brutus  rose 

Refulgent  from  the  stroke  of  Caesar's  fate 

Amid  the  crowd  of  patriots ;  and  his  arm 

Aloft  extending,  like  eternal  Jove 

When  guilt  brings  down  the  thunder,  call'd  aloud 

On  Tully's  name,  and  shook  his  crimson  steel, 

And  bade  the  father  of  his  country  hail ! 

For  lo !  the  tyrant  prostrate  on  the  dust, 

And  Rome  again  is  free !" 

The  majesty  of  the  language  is  conspicuous  also  in  the  following 
extract : 

"  Different  minds 

Incline  to  different  objects :  one  pursues 

The  vast  alone,  the  wonderful,  the  wild ; 

Another  sighs  for  harmony,  and  grace, 

And  gentlest  beauty.     Hence,  when  lightning  fires 

The  arch  of  Heaven,  and  thunders  rock  the  ground ; 

When  furious  whirlwinds  rend  the  howling  air, 

And  ocean,  groaning  from  his  lowest  bed, 

Heaves  bis  tempestuous  billows  to  the  sky ; 

Amid  the  mighty  uproar,  while  below 

The  nations  tremble,  Shakspeare  looks  abroad 

From  some  high  clift  superiour,  and  enjoys 

The  elemental  war." 

Our  own  writers  furnish  numerous  specimens  of  the  various  cha- 
racteristicks  of  our  language.  The  chaste,  pure,  classical  language, 
abounds  in  Hamilton's  prose,  and  Pierpont's  poetry.  For  sweetness, 
we  might  look  into  Ames's  prose,  and  Percival's  verse.  Robert 


22  LECTURES  ON 

Treat  Paine  would  furnish  us  with  many  sentences  in  strong  lan- 
guage in  both  prose  and  verse.  Dr.  Dwight's  works  might  also  be 
mentioned  as  exhibiting  a  fine  selection  of  words  and  phrases  in 
communicating  his  thoughts.  In  fact,  an  hundred  others  among 
our  distinguished  writers  might  be  quoted  for  our  purpose,  to  illus- 
trate the  statement  that  our  language  is  copious,  beautiful,  sweet, 
majestick,  strong,  &c.  but  we  will  not  at  this  time  make  these  selec- 
tions, for  my  audience  will  probably  call  to  mind  as  many  instances 
of  all  these  traits  in  our  writers  as  I  can. 

I  need  not  dwell  long  on  the  importance  of  cultivating  our  mother 
tongue,  nor  attempt  to  prove  that  it  is  becoming  the  triumphant 
language  of  mankind,  when  it  is  known  to  all  that  it  is  now  spoken 
by  fifty  millions  of  enlightened  freemen,  who  keep  it  purer  than  that 
used  by  any  other  nation;  and  that  the  number  now,  to  whom  it  is 
vernacular,  is  five  fold  greater  than  it  was  fifty  years  ago.  As  Em- 
pire travels  westward  with  us,  or  over  the  immense  plains  of  Asia 
with  the  English,  this  language,  whose  origin  and  history,  copious- 
ness, strength, beauty,  sweetness,  and  importance,  have  occupied  our 
past  hour,  will  carry  with  it  the  blessings  of  sound  political  and 
civil  institutions,  the  blessings  of  letters  and  science,  of  virtue  and 
religion. 

As  our  knowledge,  political,  civil,  and  religious,  expands,  and  our 
arts  and  sciences  are  extended;  and  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of 
life  increase,  words  of  new  significations  and  aptitude  are  required 
to  correspond  with  these  advancements.  A  poverty  of  words  is  a 
sure  sign  of  poverty  of  thought  in  those  who  have  had  advantages 
to  acquire  a  full  supply.  Not  only  the  progress  of  knowledge,  but 
the  fashion  of  society,  has  its  influence  over  language;  and  the  time 
has  arrived  with  us,  that  no  word  found  in  the  Dictionary  of  our 
language,  that  is  used  with  good  taste  and  judgement,  can  be  consi- 
dered as  too  learned  for  the  social  circle.  It  is  neither  affectation  or 
pedantry  to  use  any  proper  word  in  a  proper  sense.  There  is  too 
much  information  diffused  through  the  country,  to  require  that  con- 
descension in  the  learned  which  strives  to  be  simple  and  plain  in 
language  in  order  to  accommodate  their  hearers.  The  vocabulary 
of  the  scholar  and  the  publick  man,  should  be  opulent  and  well  ar- 
ranged. There  should  be  no  "  res  angusta  domi"  for  an  excuse  for 
himself  to  the  publick,  in  his  possession  of  the  stores  of  his  mother 
tongue.  These  are  at  his  command.  Every  one's  warehouse  of  words 
should  not  only  be  well  stocked,  but  well  sorted  and  arranged. 
Every  synonyme  should  be  classed  for  a  ready  selection.  Still,  how- 
ever, I  would  not  be  understood  to  commend  that  fastidiousness 
that  wakes  to  contentious  valour  in  defence  of  an  accent,  or  strives 
to  martyrdom  for  the  support  of  the  pronunciation  of  a  doubtful 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  23 

word  or  syllable.  No,  it  is  only  that  free,  generous,  tasteful  use  of 
language,  and  common  regard  to  a  just  pronunciation,  which  shows 
at  once  the  affluence  of  thought,  and  the  extent  and  polish  of  educa- 
tion, that  I  contend  for.  The  conversation  of  the  social  circle  is  now 
often  rich  and  elegant,  and  even  when  it  relaxes  to  trifling  and  play- 
fulness. Formerly  there  was  a  great  difference  between  the  written 
language  and  that  used  in  common  conversation;  but  these  styles 
are  more  nearly  assimilated,  and  both  have  been  benefitted  by  it. 
Eloquence  has  ceased  to  strut  hi  corsets,  and  to  walk  only  hi 
measured  steps,  and  to  speak  only  in  affected  cadences.  Nature  has 
assumed  her  sway,  and  ease  and  grace  prevail.  Strong,  beautiful, 
neat,  or  delicate  thoughts,  should  each  have  their  appropriate  dress. 
The  lion's  skin  to  throw  loosely  over  the  shoulders,  the  succinct  to- 
nick,  the  flowing  toga,  the  sweeping  robe,  and  the  transparent  veil, 
should  all  be  ready  for  clothing  for  the  thoughts  of  the  conversa- 
tionist, the  poet,  or  the  orator,  as  these  thoughts  arise  in  then-  ima- 
ginations, and  are  marshalled  forth  by  their  understandings  for  use 
and  display.  Words  should  be  the  vassals  of  the  mind,  at  the  call 
of  memory;  but  at  the  same  time  should  always,  like  the  slaves  of 
the  faithful,  be  used  only  in  rigid  justness  or  innocent  familiarity. 
Once  profaned  by  an  indecent  use,  their  character  is  degraded  for 
ever.  Necessity  is  the  only  true  mother  of  invention  hi  words  as 
well  as  in  other  things:  wit  and  profligacy  often  degrade  appropri- 
ate words  by  indelicate  uses.  The  languages  of  polished  nations 
alone  are  liable  to  this  misuse  or  profanation.  It  is  in  the  reckless 
plenitude  of  genius  that  words  are  violated.  A  host  of  instances 
might  be  adduced  to  illustrate  my  meaning,  if  it  were  proper;  but 
this  is  rather  a  subject  for  the  eye,  or  the  imagination,  than  the  ear. 
One  or  two  instances  might  be  named. 

The  voluptuaries  of  the  Court  of  Louis  14th,  called  a  pure  white 
wine  Virginis  Lac ;  this  was  going  far  enough  in  all  conscience ;  but 
another  of  a  purple  colour  they  called  Lachryma  Christi.  To  com- 
pare the  ruddy,  joyous  drops  of  the  wine-cup,  to  the  tears  of  a  suf- 
fering Saviour,  was  reaching  the  confines  of  blasphemy. 

Every  pure  and  elegant  mind  ought  to  rejoice  in  a  freedom  from 
the  fetters  of  bigotry  and  the  prudery  of  excessive  puritanism ;  but 
should  never  relax  his  vigils  over  the  chastity  of  his  mother  tongue. 
Morals  depend  more  on  taste,  than  philosophy,  in  her  analysis  of  the 
human  character,  is  willing  to  allow  ;  but  no  one  will  deny  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  maxim  of  inspiration,  that  "  words  fitly  spoken 
are  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 

For  many  centuries,  in  the  early  history  of  letters,  much  time 
and  labour  were  spent  by  the  industrious  and  learned,  in  making 
Lexicons,  Dictionaries,  Vocabularies,  and  Glossaries,  or  works  on 


24  LECTURES  ON 

languages,  by  whatever  name  the  compilers  chose  to  give  them. 
They  were  of  great  use  to  the  world  in  abbreviating  the  labour  of 
acquiring  a  knowledge  of  languages.  Perhaps,  the  first  that  was 
put  into  a  good  form  for  the  learner,  and  for  the  learned,  was  an 
Arabick  dictionary,  made  in  the  ninth  century  by  the  scholars  of 
Grand  Cairo ;  a  great  number  of  Greek  lexicons  and  glossaries  had 
preceded  it.  This  work,  it  is  said  by  their  historians,  was  done  by 
order  of  the  Caliph,  who  was  supervisor  as  well  as  patron  of  the 
work.  At  the  same  time,  or  soon  afterwards,  an  encyclopedia  was 
compiled  at  the  same  place,  which  was  unquestionably  the  first  of 
its  kind  ever  known.  Other  nations  soon  followed  the  example ;  and 
the  scholar  who  had  pecuniary  means  might  have  had  the  advan- 
tages of  such  a  work,  but  he  alone ;  and  it  was  not  until  after  the  art 
of  printing  was  discovered,  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, that  dictionaries  came  into  common  use.  From  this  there 
was  a  succession  of  dictionaries  in  our  vernacular,  down  to  Johnson, 
who  set  himself  to  the  task  with  a  gigantick  genius  and  a  philosophick 
mind  ;  well  read  in  all  the  best  works  in  the  English  language,  with 
a  memory  stored  with  apt  examples  and  felicitous  illustrations,  and 
patient  of  the  most  tedious  details,  he  wrought  day  and  night,  for 
many  years,  in  the  deep  mines  of  etymology  ;  and  by  analysis  and 
comparison,  solved  a  thousand  difficulties  that  his  predecessors  were 
unable  to  grapple  with.  He  had  neither  the  aid  of  the  learned  or 
the  opulent,  and  when  his  work  was  finished,  all  who  would  have 
been  pleased  with  his  fame,  or  benefitted  by  the  emoluments  of  his 
pains,  had  gone  to  another  world.  Such  are  the  common  results  of 
the  exertions  of  genius  and  learning. 

On  this  great  work  all  the  lexicographers  of  our  vernacular  have 
modelled  their  labours;  and  if,  at  times,  they  have  added  or  amended, 
still  their  ground-work  was  Johnson.  The  learned  Todd  has,  with 
great  labour,  brought  Johnson  down  to  the  present  day,  with  many 
additions  and  some  corrections. 

It  has  fallen  to  the  lot  of  an  American  scholar  to  follow  those 
great  men  with  success.  To  this  mighty  task  he  has  devoted  the 
flower  of  his  youth,  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  and  the  wisdom  of 
the  gray  head :  Webster's  dictionary  has  been  the  labour  of  nearly 
half  a  century.  Like  the  Arabick  dictionary,  it  might  well  be  called 
"AN  OCEAN  OF  WORDS,"  for  it  contains  about  seventy  thousand. 
About  eight  thousand  of  these,  in  common  use,  are  derived  from  the 
Greek,  Latin,  and  French  languages,  and  about  forty  thousand  from 
the  Saxon  and  other  kindred  languages  of  the  North,  with  the  He- 
brew, Arabick,  Sanscrit,  Coptick,  &c.  of  eastern  origin.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  words  in  his  dictionary  have  been  taken  from  the 
arts,  sciences,  and  the  learned  professions,  which  are,  in  general, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  25 

compounds  from  various  languages.  Although  grown  old,  and  ex- 
hausted by  long  and  intense  application,  by  frequent  disappoint- 
ments, by  coarse  criticisms,  petty  insults,  and  heavy  expenditures, 
yet  he  does  not,  like  his  great  prototype,  dismiss  his  work  with 
frigid  indifference;  he  is  not  solitary  or  disconsolate,  for  he  has 
those  about  him,  and  connected  with  him,  who  can  rejoice  in  his 
fame,  and  share  his  rewards. 

The  study  of  the  languages  is  not,  in  this  country,  confined  to  a 
few  learned  men,  but  is  pursued  by  many  of  those  engaged  in  pro- 
fessional business.  Duponceau  and  Pickering,  have  written  learn- 
edly on  this  subject;  and  many  others,  who  have  as  yet  offered 
nothing  to  the  public,  have  with  them,  in  addition  to  their  labours 
in  the  common  track,  made  considerable  progress  in  the  examina- 
tion of  the  languages  spoken  by  the  various  tribes  of  North  Amer- 
ican Indians ;  and  it  is  now  fully  believed,  that  this  examination 
will  afford  the  only  clue  to  their  origin,  if  ever  one  is  found. 

The  Indians  themselves  are  becoming  philologists  and  gram- 
marians, and  exciting  the  wonder  of  the  world,  by  the  invention  of 
letters.  The  invention  of  the  Cherokee  alphabet,  has  excited  the 
astonishment  of  the  philosopher  in  this  country  and  in  Europe ; 
but  as  I  have  not  as  yet  seen  any  satisfactory  account  of  the  pro- 
gress and  history  of  this  greatest  effort  of  genius  of  the  present  day, 
I  will  state  what  I  know  of  it,  from  the  lips  of  the  inventor  himself. 

In  the  winter  of  1828,  a  delegation  of  the  Cherokees  visited  the 
city  of  Washington,  in  order  to  make  a  treaty  with  the  United 
States,  and  among  them  was  See-quah-yah,  the  inventor  of  the  Che- 
rokee alphabet.  His  English  name  was  George  Guess  ;  he  was  a 
half-blood  ;  but  had  never,  from  his  own  account,  spoken  a  single 
word  of  English  up  to  the  time  of  his  invention,  nor  since.  Prompt- 
ed by  my  own  curiosity,  and  urged  by  several  literary  friends,  I 
applied  to  See-quah-yah,  through  the  medium  of  two  interpreters, 
one  a  half-blood,  Capt.  Rogers,  and  the  other  a  full-blood  chief, 
whose  assumed  English  name  was  John  Maw,  to  relate  to  me,  as 
minutely  as  possible,  the  mental  operations  and  all  the  facts  in  his 
discovery.  He  cheerfully  complied  with  my  request,  and  gave  very 
deliberate  and  satisfactory  answers  to  every  question ;  and  was 
at  the  same  time  careful  to  know  from  the  interpreters  if  I  distinctly 
understood  his  answers.  No  stoick  could  have  been  more  grave  in 
his  demeanour  than  was  See-quah-yah ;  he  pondered,  according  to 
the  Indian  custom,  for  a  considerable  time  after  each  question  was 
put,  before  he  made  his  reply,  and  often  took  a  whiff  of  his  calumet, 
while  reflecting  on  an  answer.  The  details  of  the  examination  are 
too  long  for  the  closing  paragraph  of  this  lecture ;  but  the  substance 
of  it  was  this :  That  he,  See-quah-yah,  was  now  about  sixty-five 
C  3 


26  LECTURES  ON 

years  old,  but  could  not  precisely  say ;  that  in  early  life  he  was  gay 
and  talkative ;  and  although  he  never  attempted  to  speak  in  Council 
but  once,  yet  was  often,  from  the  strength  of  his  memory,  his  easy 
colloquial  powers,  and  ready  command  of  his  vernacular,  story-teller 
of  the  convivial  party.  His  reputation  for  talents  of  every  kind  gave 
him  some  distinction  when  he  was  quite  young,  so  long  ago  as  St. 
Clair's  defeat.  In  this  campaign,  or  some  one  that  soon  followed  it, 
a  letter  was  found  on  the  person  of  a  prisoner,  which  was  wrongly 
read  by  him  to  the  Indians.  In  some  of  their  deliberations  on  this 
subject,  the  question  arose  among  them,  whether  this  mysterious 
power  of  the  talking  leaf,  was  the  gift  of  the  Great  Spirit  to  the 
white  man,  or  a  discovery  of  the  white  man  himself?  Most  of  his 
companions  were  of  the  former  opinion,  while  he  as  strenuously 
maintained  the  latter.  This  frequently  became  a  subject  of  con- 
templation with  him  afterwards,  as  well  as  many  other  things  which 
he  knew,  or  had  heard,  that  the  white  man  could  do ;  but  he  never 
sat  down  seriously  to  reflect  on  the  subject,  until  a  swelling  on  his 
knee  confined  him  to  his  cabin,  and  which  at  length  made  him  a 
cripple  for  life,  by  shortening  the  diseased  leg.  Deprived  of  the  ex- 
citements of  war,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  chase,  in  the  long  nights 
of  his  confinement,  his  mind  was  again  directed  to  the  mystery  of 
the  power  of  speaking  by  letters.  The  very  name  of  which,  of 
course,  was  not  to  be  found  in  his  language.  From  the  cries  of  wild 
beasts,  from  the  talents  of  the  mocking-bird,  from  the  voices  of  his 
children  and  his  companions,  he  knew  that  feelings  and  passions 
were  conveyed  by  different  sounds,  from  one  intelligent  being  to 
another.  The  thought  struck  him  to  try  to  ascertain  all  the  sounds 
in  the  Cherokee  language.  His  own  ear  was  not  remarkably  dis- 
criminating, and  he  called  to  his  aid  the  more  acute  ears  of  his  wife 
and  children.  He  found  great  assistance  from  them.  When  he 
thought  that  he  had  distinguished  all  the  different  sounds  in  their 
language,  he  attempted  to  use  pictorial  signs,  images  of  birds  and 
beasts,  to  convey  these  sounds  to  others,  or  to  mark  them  in  his  own 
mind.  He  soon  dropped  this  method,  as  difficult  or  impossible,  and 
tried  arbitrary  signs,  without  any  regard  to  appearances,  except 
such  as  might  assist  him  in  recollecting  them,  and  distinguishing 
them  from  each  other.  At  first,  these  signs  were  very  numerous  ;  and 
when  he  got  so  far  as  to  think  his  invention  was  nearly  accomplish- 
ed, he  had  about  two  hundred  characters  in  his  Alphabet.  By  the 
aid  of  his  daughter,  who  seemed  to  enter  in  the  genius  of  his 
labours,  he  reduced  them,  at  last,  to  eighty-six,  the  number  he  now 
uses.  He  then  set  to  work  to  make  these  characters  more  comely 
to  the  eye,  and  succeeded.  As  yet  he  had  not  the  knowledge  of  the 
pea  as  an  instrument,  but  made  his  characters  on  a  piece  of  bark, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  27 

with  a  knife  or  nail.  At  this  time  he  sent  to  the  Indian  agent,  or 
some  trader  in  the  nation,  for  paper  and  pen.  His  ink  was  easily 
made  from  some  of  the  bark  of  the  forest  trees,  whose  colouring 
properties  he  had  previously  known  ;  and  after  seeing  the  construc- 
tion of  the  pen,  he  soon  learnt  to  make  one ;  but  at  first  he  made  it 
without  a  slit ;  this  inconvenience  was,  however,  quickly  removed 
by  his  sagacity.  His  next  difficulty  was  to  make  his  invention 
known  to  his  countrymen ;  for  by  this  time  he  had  become  so  ab- 
stracted from  his  tribe  and  their  usual  pursuits,  that  he  was  viewed 
with  an  eye  of  suspicion.  His  former  companions  passed  his  wig- 
wam without  entering  it,  and  mentioned  his  name  as  one  who  was 
practising  improper  spells,  for  notoriety  or  mischievous  purposes; 
and  he  seems  to  think  that  he  should  have  been  hardly  dealt  with,  if 
his  docile  and  unambitious  disposition  had  not  been  so  generally 
acknowledged  by  his  tribe.  At  length  he  summoned  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  of  his  nation,  in  order  to  make  his  communica- 
tion to  them — and  after  giving  them  the  best  explanation  of  his  dis- 
covery that  he  could,  stripping  it  of  all  supernatural  influence,  he 
proceeded  to  demonstrate  to  them,  in  good  earnest,  that  he  had  made 
a  discovery.  His  daughter,  who  was  now  his  only  pupil,  was  or- 
dered to  go  out  of  hearing,  while  he  requested  his  friends  to  name  a 
word  or  sentiment  which  he  put  down,  and  then  she  was  called  in 
and  read  it  to  them;  then  the  father  retired,  and  the  daughter 
wrote ;  the  Indians  were  wonder  struck ;  but  not  entirely  satisfied. 
See-quah-yah  then  proposed,  that  the  tribe  should  select  several 
youths  from  among  their  brightest  young  men,  that  he  might  com- 
municate the  mystery  to  them.  This  was  at  length  agreed  to,  al- 
though there  was  some  lurking  suspicion  of  necromancy  in  the 
whole  business.  John  Maw,  (his  Indian  name  I  have  forgotten,)  a 
full-blood,  with  several  others,  were  selected  for  this  purpose.  The 
tribes  watched  the  youths  for  several  months  with  anxiety ;  and 
when  they  offered  themselves  for  examination,  the  feelings  of  all 
were  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch.  The  youths  were  separated 
from  their  master,  and  from  each  other,  arid  watched  with  great  care. 
The  uninitiated  directed  what  the  master  and  pupil  should  write 
to  each  other,  and  these  tests  were  varied  in  such  a  manner,  as  not 
only  to  destroy  their  infidelity,  but  most  firmly  to  fix  their  faith. 
The  Indians,  on  this,  ordered  a  great  feast,  and  made  See-quah-yah 
conspicuous  at  it.  How  nearly  is  man  alike  in  every  age !  Pytha- 
goras did  the  same  on  the  discovery  of  an  important  principle  in 
geometry.  See-quah-yah  became  at  once  school-master,  professor, 
philosopher,  and  a  chief.  His  countrymen  were  proud  of  his 
talents,  and  held  him  in  reverence  as  one  favoured  by  the  Great 
Spirit.  The  inventions  of  early  times  were  shrouded  in  mystery. 


28  LECTURES  ON 

See-quah-yah  disdained  all  quackery.  He  did  not  stop  here,  but 
carried  his  discoveries  to  numbers.  He  of  course  knew  nothing  of 
the  Arabick  digits,  nor  of  the  power  of  Roman  letters  in  the  science. 
The  Cherokees  had  mental  numerals  to  one  hundred,  and  had 
words  for  all  numbers  up  to  that ;  but  they  had  no  signs  or  characters 
to  assist  them  in  enumerating,  adding,  subtracting,  multiplying,  or 
dividing.  He  reflected  upon  this  until  he  had  created  their  element- 
ary principle  in  his  mind;  but  he  was  at  first  obliged  to  make  words 
to  express  his  meaning,  and  then  signs  to  explain  it.  By  this  pro- 
cess he  soon  had  a  clear  conception  of  numbers  up  to  a  million. 
His  great  difficulty  was  at  the  threshold,  to  fix  the  powers  of  his 
signs  according  to  their  places.  When  this  was  overcome,  his  next 
step  was  in  adding  up  his  different  numbers  in  order  to  put  down 
the  fraction  of  the  decimal,  and  give  the  whole  number  to  his  next 
place.  But  when  I  knew  him,  he  had  overcome  all  these  difficulties, 
and  was  quite  a  ready  arithmetician  in  the  fundamental  rules. 
This  was  the  result  of  my  interview ;  and  I  can  safely  say,  that  I 
have  seldom  met  a  man  of  more  shrewdness  than  See-quah-yah. 
He  adhered  to  all  the  customs  of  his  country ;  and  when  his  asso- 
ciate chiefs  on  the  mission  assumed  our  costume,  he  was  dressed  in 
all  respects  like  an  Indian.  See-quah-yah  is  a  man  of  diversified 
talents ;  he  passes  from  metaphysical  and  philosophical  investiga- 
tion to  mechanical  occupations,  with  the  greatest  ease.  The  only 
practical  mechanics  he  was  acquainted  with,  were  a  few  bungling 
blacksmiths,  who  could  make  a  rough  tomahawk,  or  tinker  the  lock 
of  a  rifle ;  yet  he  became  a  white  and  silver  smith,  without  any  in- 
struction, and  made  spurs  and  silver  spoons  with  neatness  and 
skill,  to  the  great  admiration  of  people  of  the  Cherokee  nation. 
See-quah-yah  has  also  a  great  taste  for  painting.  He  mixes  his 
colours  with  skill ;  taking  all  the  art  and  science  of  his  tribe  upon 
the  subject,  he  added  to  it  many  chemical  experiments  of  his  own, 
and  some  of  them  were  very  successful,  and  would  be  worth  being 
known  to  our  painters.  For  his  drawings  he  had  no  model  but 
what  nature  furnished,  and  he  often  copied  them  with  astonishing 
faithfulness.  His  resemblances  of  the  human  form,  it  is  true,  are 
coarse,  but  often  spirited  and  correct ;  and  he  gave  action,  and  some- 
times grace,  to  his  representations  of  animals.  He  had  never  seen 
a  camel  hair  pencil,  when  he  made  use  of  the  hair  of  wild  animals 
for  his  brushes.  Some  of  his  productions  discover  a  considerable 
practical  knowledge  of  perspective ;  but  he  could  not  have  formed 
rules  for  this.  The  painters  in  the  early  ages  were  many  years 
coming  to  a  knowledge  of  this  part  of  their  art ;  and  even  now  they 
are  more  successful  in  the  art  than  perfect  in  the  rules  of  it.  The 
manners  of  the  American  Cadmus  are  the  most  easy,  and  his  habits 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  29 

those  of  the  most  assiduous  scholar,  and  his  disposition  is  more 
lively  than  that  of  any  Indian  I  ever  saw.  He  understood  and  felt 
the  advantages  the  white  man  had  long  enjoyed,  of  having  the  ac- 
cumulations of  every  branch  of  knowledge,  from  generation  to  ge- 
neration, by  means  of  a  written  language,  while  the  red  man  could 
only  commit  his  thoughts  to  uncertain  tradition.  He  reasoned  cor- 
rectly, when  he  urged  this  to  his  friends  as  the  cause  why  the  red 
man  had  made  so  few  advances  in  knowledge  in  comparison  with 
us ;  and  to  remedy  this  was  one  of  his  great  aims,  and  one  which  he 
has  accomplished  beyond  that  of  any  other  man  living,  or  perhaps 
any  other  who  ever  existed  in  a  rude  state  of  nature. 

It  perhaps  may  not  be  known  that  the  government  of  the  United 
States  had  a  fount  of  types  cast  for  his  alphabet ;  and  that  a  news- 
paper, printed  partly  in  the  Cherokee  language,  and  partly  in  the 
English,  has  been  established  at  New  Echota,  and  is  characterized 
by  decency  and  good  sense  ;  and  thus  many  of  the  Cherokees  are 
able  to  read  both  languages.  After  putting  these  remarks  to  paper, 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  head  chief  of  the  Cherokees,  who 
confirmed  the  statement  of  See-quah-yah,  and  added,  that  he  was  an 
Indian  of  the  strictest  veracity  and  sobriety.  The  western  wilder- 
ness is  not  only  to  blossom  like  the  rose  ;  but  there,  man  has  started 
up,  and  proved  that  he  has  not  degenerated  since  the  primitive  days 
of  Cecrops,  and  the  romantic  ages  of  wonderful  effort  and  god-like 


LECTURE  II. 


"They  say  that  them  wert  lovely  from  thy  birth, 
Of  glorious  parents." 

THE  literature  of  a  nation,  thoroughly  studied,  affords  the  best 
criterion,  by  which  may  be  judged  the  principles  and  powers  of  a 
people,  as  well  as  their  rank  in  the  scale  of  civilization :  I  mean 
literature  in  its  extended  sense.  In  endeavouring  to  execute  my 
task,  I  shall  show  those  men,  and  something  of  their  works,  who 
have  added  to  the  stock  of  our  learning,  from  time  to  time ;  or  those 
who,  by  their  eloquence  or  industry  in  teaching,  or  by  the  produc- 
tions of  their  pens,  have  left  us  an  account  of  the  deeds  of  their 
predecessors  or  contemporaries.  I  shall  divide  our  history  into 
C2 


30  LECTURES  ON 

four  periods,  of  half  a  century  each,  for  the  sake  of  more  easily  mana- 
ging my  subject.  These  periods  are,  indeed,  arbitrary,  it  may  be  said, 
and  will  not  correspond  with  any  remarkable  events  in  politicks  or 
literature.  This  is  very  true ;  but  still  the  division  may  aid  my  la- 
bours. The  skilful  painter  of  a  panorama,  divides  his  canvass  into 
portions  before  he  takes  up  the  pencil;  but  these  mechanical 
arrangements  are  not  seen  when  the  whole  surface  glows  with  life 
and  action.  A  writer  may  profit  by  such  an  example. 

All  civilized  nations  have  made  great  exertions,  in  some  period  of 
their  history,  to  discover  the  origin  of  their  literature,  and  have 
rejoiced  at  every  successful  effort  to  trace  up  and  open  the  fountains, 
from  whence  the  streams  of  knowledge  have  issued  to  gladden  suc- 
cessive generations.  With  many  matters  of  well  authenticated  fact, 
there  has  been  much  of  fable  and  conjecture  commingled.  The 
farthest  East,  the  birth-place  of  science  and  letters,  has  been  over- 
hung with  clouds  for  thirty  centuries ;  and  if,  for  a  moment,  the  eye 
of  genius  has  sometimes  attempted  to  pierce  them,  it  succeeded  for 
a  moment  only,  and  the  splendid  vision  it  unfolded  was  soon  covered 
again  with  a  thicker  mantle. 

Even  Greece,  so  dear  to  us  by  many  sweet  associations,  can  boast 
of  but  little  accuracy  in  her  early  history ;  she  has  often  substituted 
for  truth,  the  loveliest  visions  of  fancy,  and  given  the  history  of  her 
earliest  worthies,  from  golden  streams  of  fiction,  rather  than  from 
a  series  of  facts.  The  portraits  of  heroes  and  demigods,  have 
generally  been  shown  in  the  twilight  of  history,  and  the  glories  of 
their  acts  have  been  seen  in  the  faint  rays  of  the  sun ;  while  men, 
mere  men,  have  only  been  exhibited  in  the  fulness  of  the  perfect  day. 
But  in  every  age  there  has  been  a  disposition  to  know  much  of  for- 
mer times;  the  persons,  dress,  minds,  manners,  and  modes  of 
thinking,  of  those  of  former  days,  are  sought  after  by  us ;  and  no 
subject  delights  us  more  than  a  history  of  their  intellectual  trea- 
sures. This  remark  would  have  applied  with  equal  effect  to  our 
own  country,  if  we  had  not  been  under  the  erroneous  impression, 
that  after  the  most  painful  search,  nothing  of  value  could  be  found. 

In  the  early  ages,  the  curious  examined  nature  in  all  her  virgin 
loveliness ;  and  her  beautiful  forms  made  indelible  impressions  upon 
the  minds  of  those  enamoured  of  her  charms.  We  always  love  to 
look  back  and  contemplate  things  as  they  were.  In  the  philoso- 
phical days  of  Pericles,  the  Athenians  went  back  with  enthusiasm 
to  the  days  of  Homer ;  and  when  the  Thebans  were  in  a  high  state 
of  military  discipline,  and  not  so  much  depended  upon  individual 
prowess  as  in  the  earlier  ages  of  their  warfare,  and  every  event  was 
more  a  matter  of  calculation,  the  great  objects  of  their  admiration 
were  placed  in  a  more  romantick  period.  They  went  back  to  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  31 

Trojan  war ;  when  hand  to  hand,  and  foot  to  foot,  the  sons  of  gods 
contended  in  mortal  strife,  and  fought  and  bled  for  the  possession 
of  the  daughters  of  men,  as  well  as  their  own  individual  fame, 
governed  by  such  passions  as  are  found  in  the  breasts  of  mortal  men 
now-a-days.  But  if  fiction  be  mingled  with  history,  and  it  is  im- 
possible to  make  the  great  men  of  antiquity  appear  as  they  really 
were,  still  it  is  delightful  to  look  back  upon  ages  past,  and  catch  a 
glimpse  of  them  through  the  medium  of  their  thoughts  and  opi- 
nions, which  do  not  deceive  us,  if  their  history  does.  This  we  have 
a  right  to  do ;  it  is  no  waste  of  time,  no  dereliction  of  duty,  and  is 
not  injuring  any  one,  if  we  do  not  dwell  on  them  so  long  as  to  for- 
get the  opinions  and  the  subjects  of  contemplation  of  the  great  men 
of  our  own  times.  A  man's  business,  most  assuredly,  is  with  those 
about  him ;  but  it  is  for  the  interest  of  himself,  and  those  around 
him,  to  draw  knowledge  and  instruction  from  those  who  have  gone 
before  him.  The  industrious  husbandman  who  rises  early,  may, 
before  he  enters  his  fields  to  labour  in  the  furrow,  or  to  gather  in  his 
harvest,  indulge  himself  for  a  few  moments  in  turning  to  the  rising 
sun,  and  in  extending  his  view  over  the  distant  landscape  to  enjoy 
the  sight  of  the  afar-off  mountain,  the  flowing  stream,  or  the  lofty 
spire ;  or  may,  if  his  taste  should  so  direct  him,  cast  a  glance  at  the 
solemn  mansions  of  the  dead,  as  the  rays  of  light  fall  on  their 
crumbling  tombs.  Such  contemplations  will  not  enfeeble  his  hands, 
or  sicken  his  heart,  or  make  him  go  reluctantly  to  his  labours ;  no, 
it  will  teach  him  what  he  is,  and  what  he  has  to  do,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  setting  about  it,  that  his  task  may  be  finished  in  season, 
before  the  night  cometh  in  which  no  man  can  work. 

The  lover  of  literature,  who  confines  himself  to  the  smallest  cor- 
ner of  the  vineyard,  may,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  refresh  himself 
by  viewing  the  fields  where  others  have  toiled  through  many  a 
weary  day.  The  stores  of  literature  lie  before  him,  and  from  which 
he  may  collect,  for  use,  many  lessons  of  wisdom ;  for  literature,  in  its 
proper  sense,  is  the  transcript  of  the  head  and  the  heart  of  man,  in 
the  thoughts  of  the  one  and  the  workings  of  the  other,  in  every  age 
of  his  existence :  all  his  sufferings,  his  joys,  his  hopes,  his  reason- 
ings, his  anticipations,  and  even  his  imaginings,  belong  to  the  litera- 
ture of  the  world ;  yea,  more— the  descriptions  of  his  country,  of 
his  kindred  and  friends ;  of  the  flowers  on  which  he  treads,  and  of 
the  fountains  which  flow  at  his  feet,  and  the  dews  which  fall  on  his 
head,  and  the  atmosphere  which  he  breathes,  are  incorporated  in  his 
literature.  Thus,  thoughts  embalmed  in  words,  and  principles  in 
thoughts  and  expressions,  make  the  heir-looms  of  one  generation 
for  another,  and  to  which  something  is  added  every  day. 

It  is  by  literature  that  we  live,  as  it  were,  in  the  ages  past  as  well 


32  LECTURES  ON 

as  in  the  present.  The  well  educated  man  brings  into  the  narrow 
compass  of  human  life  the  knowledge  of  many  years,  and  examines 
in  a  single  day  the  events  of  centuries.  He  travels  back  to  the  wis- 
dom of  Egypt,  and  measures  the  mind  and  weighs  the  science  of 
those  who  erected  the  pyramids  and  etched  the  hieroglyphics  upon 
them.  He  dwells  upon  the  literature  of  the  Hebrews,  and  reads  in 
the  books  they  have  left  an  instructive  lesson  of  human  powers  and 
of  human  virtues  and  frailties ;  and  enjoys  the  verses  of  the  poets 
who  sang  the  glories  of  that  God  who  delivered  them  from  the 
yoke  of  Egypt  and  the  house  of  bondage;  and  where  can  be  found 
pictures  of  a  brighter  colouring,  or  flowers  of  a  sweeter  flavour  ? 
In  these  early  writings,  all  the  images  at  once  strike  the  mind  as  na- 
tural, and  all  the  sentiments  flow  directly  from  the  heart.  Their 
religion,  their  morals,  their  whole  history,  are  directly  before  us,  and 
are  monuments  of  intellect  that  rise  sublimely  in  the  lapse  of  cen- 
turies, a  wonder  to  man. 

The  Greeks,  too,  drawing  from  the  same  fountains,  have  left  us  a 
literature  which  cannot  be  named  without  emotions  of  pleasure. 
Having  a  language  of  their  own,  their  literature  was  seemingly  indi- 
genous, however  deeply  they  might  have  been  indebted  to  the 
oriental  store-houses  that  had  been  long  open  to  them.  The  growth 
of  Greek  literature  was  like  all  other  improvements,  progressive ; 
for  more  than  seven  hundred  years  it  was  so.  The  Greeks  were  a 
peculiar  people ;  their  taste  was  pure,  and  their  discrimination  ex- 
quisite ;  and  their  understandings  were  the  most  acute  of  any  people 
Who  have  ever  lived.  Their  language  proves  this ;  for  so  well  was  it 
formed,  that  science  and  art  are  obliged  to  resort  to  it  at  this  present 
day  for  terms  to  convey  a  proper  idea  of  their  inventions  and  im- 
provements. If  we  could  forget  their  ambition,  their  volatility,  and 
frequent  acts  of  injustice,  the  reader  might  think  that  he  was  coursing 
over  fields  of  light  with  beings  of  a  superior  creation,  while  he  was 
making  himself  acquainted  with  Greek  literature.  The  Greeks 
multiplied  books  to  inform  the  judgment  and  warm  the  heart,  and 
which  gave  immortality  to  themselves  and  information  to  all  suc- 
ceeding generations.  They  created  a  code  of  laws  for  taste  and  the 
imagination.  What  can  exceed  their  permanent  fictions  ?  Their 
mountains  still  drop  with  honey,  their  springs  still  flow,  and  will 
forever  flow,  with  waters  impregnated  with  inspiration ;  and  their 
groves  are  still  vocal  with  song.  These  creations  of  literary  taste 
are  as  imperishable  as  the  mind  of  man ;  and  Attica  may  be,  as  it 
has  been  for  ages,  a  den  of  pirates  and  a  place  of  skulls— yet  no  mat- 
ter, a  thousand  successive  pachas  could  not  pluck  from  our  minds 
the  lovely  country  which  literature  created,  and  has  preserved.  In 
this  form,  and  under  these  fascinating  guises,  the  people  of  that  age 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  33 

found  out  a  method  by  which  they  have  preserved  every  shade  of 
thought,  and  every  change  of  feeling,  of  which  human  nature  is  sus- 
ceptible. Fiction  has  given  truth  some  of  her  ornaments ;  but  they 
were  disposed  of  so  tastefully,  that  she  has  been  made  more  beauti- 
ful for  receiving  and  wearing  them.  This  is  emphatically  the 
triumph  of  letters ;  but  this  triumph  was  not  confined  to  that  region 
alone ;  letters  assumed  their  empire  not  only  at  Athens,  but  also  at 
Rome  they  claimed  the  wreaths  of  immortality.  The  conquests  of 
that  mistress  of  the  world  have  passed  away,  but  her  literature 
never  will. 

When  the  Greek  was  no  longer  a  free  man  on  his  own  soil,  or  was 
an  exile  in  another  land,  and  when  the  Roman  eagles  had  drooped 
their  wings,  literature  found  her  altars  among  the  Arabs ;  her  form 
in  some  degree  was  altered,  but  her  spirit  was  the  same.  This  peo- 
ple threw  all  their  fierce  nature  into  the  pursuits  of  learning,  and 
surpassed  their  predecessors  not  only  in  works  of  imagination,  but 
in  those  connected  with  the  sciences.  They  spurned  the  narrow 
bounds  of  time  and  space,  and  imagined  worlds  of  their  own,  and 
peopled  them  with  matchless  beings,  unshackled  by  mortal  func- 
tions, and  human  laws,  and  gave  them  powers  and  virtues  of  an 
angelick  nature.  But  in  the  midst  of  these  delightful  fictions  of 
literature,  they  forgot  not  the  sciences,  but  pursued  them  with  a 
poetick  passion.  They  invented  the  laws  of  numbers,  and  proved  the 
truth  of  them  by  the  invention  itself.  They  pursued,  through  the 
alembick,  the  visionary  doctrines  of  alchymy  to  the  satisfactory  re- 
sults of  chymistry  ;  and,  by  experiments,  brought  science  from  the 
dreams  of  avarice  to  enlighten  mankind.  That  warmth  of  imagi- 
nation which  saw  the  times  in  the  stars,  found,  by  the  light  of  the 
mind  which  accompanied  it,  the  precise  movements  of  the  heavenly 
bodies;  and  the  delirium  of  the  magician  was  changed  to  the  de- 
vout reverence  of  the  scientifick  astronomer.  The  choicest  names 
in  the  Arabic  language  were  given  to  the  constellations ;  and  these 
have  been  preserved  by  those  who  knew  but  little  of  their  origin. 
The  literature  of  Spain  and  Italy  was  the  same  in  a  new  form, 
gaining  something  at  times,  but  losing  much  of  its  ethereal  fire  in 
every  new  transformation.  The  Gauls  and  Britains  at  length  came 
in  for  their  share,  and  have  repaid  the  world  for  what  they  received. 
The  light  they  borrowed  from  the  East  is  now  reflected  back,  and  the 
nations  of  Egypt  are  learninsr  the  arts  of  war  and  peace  from  those 
they  once  instructed.  It  would  require  volumes  to  trace  the  march 
of  science  and  letters  through  every  a?e  in  its  progress  round  this 
world  of  ours. 

It  may  seem  to  some  that  I  am  taking  a  wide  range  in  these  re- 
marks, to  get  at  our  literature  and  science ;  but  there  is  not  a  page 
5 


34  LECTURES  ON 

of  it,  however  humble,  that  is  not  indebted  to  every  one  of  these 
sources  for  some  thought,  word,  or  expression.  The  literature  of  the 
present  day  is  made,  in  a  good  degree,  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  litera- 
ture of  former  ages.  There  are  words  in  our  vernacular  from  the 
Arabick,  the  Hebrew,  the  Coptick,  the  Greek,  and  Latin,  and  many 
other  languages ;  our  arts,  too,  claim  a  lineal  kindred,  and  our  num- 
bers are  theirs  unchanged.  And  shall  we  say  that  our  literature  is 
nothing,  because  we  have  not  in  it  the  production  of  numerous  cen- 
turies 1  Shall  we,  who  have  inherited  all  these  spoils  of  time,  conti- 
nue to  avow  our  poverty,  merely  because  we  do  not  wish  to  examine 
our  treasures  ?  Or  shall  we,  because  others  possess  more,  think  and 
say  that  we  have  nothing  ?  No  man,  when  the  question  is  put  to 
him,  will  acknowledge  that  he  is  willing  that  we  should  be  so  supine 
or  neglectful.  What  then  is  to  be  done  ?  Why,  there  is  but  one 
course  to  take  in  this  business.  In  the  first  place,  examine  thoroughly 
into  what  we  have  had  of  learning  among  us ;  in  what  shapes  it  has 
appeared  j  of  what  utility  it  has  been  to  the  country ;  of  what  to 
mankind  at  large.  And  how  is  this  to  be  done?  Why,  in  the  way 
that  knowledge  has  ever  been  acquired ;  by  painful  investigation 
into  the  history  of  our  country's  mind,  and  the  pursuits,  of  that 
mind ;  and  this  by  carefully  collecting  what  fruits  of  it  are  left,  and 
by  examining  its  nature  and  growth.  I  grant  that  it  is  not  to  be 
accomplished  in  a  day,  or  by  one  man,  nor  by  one  course  of  means. 
The  historian  must  take  his  part ;  the  biographer  his  ;  the  antiqua- 
rian his  ;  and  the  lecturer  his  part  of  it  also.  This  latter  mode  of 
diffusing  instruction  is  not  a  novel  one.  Lectures  were  given  on 
national  literature  and  on  national  glory  in  the  walks  of  the  academy, 
in  the  groves  of  Egeira,  and  at  the  Olympic  games.  The  doctrines 
of  religion  have  been  so  promulgated  ;  those  of  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  New ;  those  also  of  the  koran,  and  those  of  every  sect  in 
every  age  of  the  world.  The  lecture  gives  in  one  respect  a  better 
form  than  history,  to  the  knowledge  we  may  communicate ;  for  the 
facts  of  the  former  may  be  interspersed  with  free  and  particular 
remarks  on  men  and  their  deeds,  as  the  lecturer  passes  on  to  mat- 
ters which  the  historian  cannot  condescend  to,  consistent  with  the 
dignity  of  his  subject.  It  is  a  better  mode  than  that  of  the  sermon, 
in  some  respects ;  because  a  sermon  is  properly  a  discourse  made  on 
some  particular  subject,  and,  in  general,  drawn  from  aphorisms  or 
texts,  and  should  be  confined  to  them.  The  lecture  is  a  better  mode 
of  conveying  information  than  the  oration,  strictly  speaking.  The 
orator  cannot,  without  compromising  the  dignity  of  his  subject, 
descend  to  minute  details;  he  is  obliged  to  glance  at  these,  and 
throw  them  aside  as  understood  by  his  audience,  while  the  lecturer 
has  a  right  to  enter  into  the  most  minute  details,  to  reason  upon  them 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  35 

when  he  chooses,  and  to  draw  inferences  from  such  axioms  and 
principles  as  may  chance  to  come  in  his  way.  The  lecturer  has  a 
right  to  the  same  ornaments  as  the  orator ;  the  same  facts  as  the 
historian ;  the  same  minute  relations  as  the  biographer ;  and  the 
same  moral  strain  as  the  sermonizer.  It  is  difficult,  most  certainly, 
to  pass  from  details  to  generalizing ;  from  figures  of  dates  to  figures 
of  rhetorick,  and  still  seem  to  preserve  unity  of  design  with  proper 
effect ;  yet  it  has  been  done  by  many,  and  of  course  the  attempt  is 
not  preposterous.  In  the  numerous  literary  and  scientifick  institu- 
tions in  Germany,  this  mode  of  diffusing  information  is  in  general 
use,  and  is  considered  of  high  importance  in  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge.  The  habit  is  growing  up  in  our  seminaries,  and  will,  I 
have  no  doubt,  come  into  general  use.  It  is  not  so  much  the  mass  of 
information  that  a  well  digested  lecture  contains  on  any  subject  of 
literature  and  science  that  renders  it  valuable ;  the  excellency  con- 
sists, if  it  have  any  merit,  in  directing  the  mind  to  such  topicks  as  are 
worthy  of  investigation  at  another  time. 

The  fields  of  literature  have  aptly  been  compared  to  a  garden ; 
we  walk  through  it  and  partake  of  its  flowers  and  fruit.  Such 
wanderings  are  delightful ;  but  how  much  more  information  might 
be  obtained  in  the  same  time,  if  the  exoticks  were  designated  and 
separated  from  the  native ;  if  the  trivial  and  classical  names  of 
plants  were  given  at  the  same  time ;  and  the  merely  ornamental 
distinguished  from  those  which  combine  both  characteristicks.  The 
lectures  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  are  models  of  this  species  of  com- 
position. But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  my  own  exertions ;  the 
literature  of  our  country  is  incorporated  with  the  character  of  our 
ancestors.  In  our  own  history,  it  is  true,  we  cannot  go  back  into 
regions  of  fiction,  and  indulge  in  the  reveries  of  the  imagination  ; 
for  solemn,  well  authenticated  facts,  meet  us  at  every  turn,  and  we 
must  trace  them  from  date  to  date,  and  from  man  to  man.  Still,  the 
highway  is  full  of  subjects  of  deep  interest,  and  the  mind  will  find 
food  for  contemplation  at  every  step. 

The  spirit  of  inquiry  had  been  abroad  for  more  than  a  century 
previous  to  the  first  date  in  the  history  of  these  American  colonies. 
The  doctrine  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  had  been  broached  and 
diffused.  The  light  of  science  and  reason,  and  the  love  of  letters, 
were  found  in  the  ecclesiastical  states ;  and  the  sovereign  pontiff 
Leo  X.  was  among  the  great  patrons  of  improvements,  before  our 
ancestors  came  to  these  shores.  The  German  monks  had  com- 
menced the  work  of  reforming  the  church,  with  an  intelligence  and 
an  earnestness  that  baffled  all  control.  The  little  republicks  of 
Italy  were  contending  with  each  other  and  the  world,  by  exertions 
in  favour  of  the  arts  and  letters ;  and  the  United  Provinces  of  the 


36  LECTURES  ON 

Netherlands  wet e  teaching  the  nations  of  Europe,  that  commerce 
and  freedom,  and  the  rights  of  man,  were  not  the  mere  offspring  of 
a  heated  imagination.  Then  the  doctrines  of  a  representative 
government  were  beginning  to  be  understood  and  valued;  and 
amid  the  storm  of  contending  factions,  the  principles  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty  were  seen  to  be  taking  root.  England,  after  strug- 
gling with  the  strength  of  Spain,  was  rising  in  power  and  influence, 
and  advancing,  even  by  her  acts  of  persecution,  the  progress  of 
liberty.  At  this  moment,  the  people  in  England  felt  more  than  they 
dared  to  express,  and  sighed  for  more  than  they  enjoyed.  Some 
were  ready  to  emigrate  from  a  love  of  change  and  a  spirit  of  enter-; 
prise ;  while  others  were  anxious  to  find  an  asylum  from  religious 
persecution. 

That  the  end  depends  on  the  beginning — "Finis  origins 
pendet" — is  an  axiom  more  applicable,  if  possible,  to  nations  than 
to  individuals.  This  country  had  an  auspicious  beginning,  when, 
considered  in  connexion  with  its  destinies.  It  has  been  held  as  true 
to  history,  that  nations  have  their  rise  and  decline  in  some  regard 
to  centuries,  as  the  human  constitution  to  shorter  periods  of  time. 
History  does  indeed  produce  some  examples  to  illustrate  this  posi- 
tion ;  but  their  beginnings  and  their  elements  were  different  from 
those  which  are  found  in  our  history.  Our  beginnings  were  indeed 
different  from  those  of  other  nations  in  many  respects ;  we  did  not 
pass  through  the  long  and  painful  stages  of  civilization,  from  the 
dawn  of  knowledge  to  the  full  day  of  light,  but  commenced  with 
the  possession  of  all  the  knowledge  which  had  been  left  by  departed 
nations,  or  treasured  up  in  later  times.  Our  ancestors  came  not  to 
this  country  as  the  savage  hordes  of  the  north  came  down  upon  the 
cultivated  grounds  of  Italy ;  who  took  possession  of  the  tasteful 
villas,  the  vine-covered  hills,  the  magnificent  palaces,  and  the  superb 
temples;  and  subdued  by  the  charms  of  voluptuousness,  and  the 
sweets  of  refinement,  grew  pliant,  tasteful,  and  effeminate,  and  well 
informed;  and  throwing  aside  their  swords  and  coats  of  mail, 
seized  the  pencil,  the  chisel,  and  the  lute,  and  made  an  abode  for  the 
grace?  in  the  bosom  of  the  arts. 

Our  ancestors  were  not,  like  some  colonists,  disgorged  from  the 
mother  country  to  keep  the  remaining  population  sound  and  pure; 
they  were  not  a  surplus  mass  thrown  off  to  prevent  national  apo- 
plexy, or  political  spasms ;  such  a  population  as  sometimes  went 
from  Attica  to  take  possession  of  the  islands  in  the  numerous  seas 
about  them,  or  to  the  more  distant  shores  of  Africa ;  nor  were  they 
sent  by  the  parent  country  to  extend  her  commerce,  or  to  gain  a 
footing  on,  or  near,  the  territories  of  other  natipns. 

They  did  not  come  to  this  country  as  the  Spanish  and  French 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  37 

colonists  to  the  "  summer  isles,"  allured  by  the  golden  dreams  of 
avarice,  or  by  the  glowing  description  of  the  luxuriance  of  the  soil, 
abounding  in  perpetual  fruits  and  flowers;  an  earthly  paradise, 
teeming  with  all  that  could  satisfy  the  appetite  or  regale  the  senses ; 
which  for  centuries  have  been  the  abodes  of  luxury,  superstition, 
profligacy,  and  crime.  No;  the  sober  calculations  of  forming  a 
thrifty  settlement,  which  would  make  a  good  home  for  themselves 
and  their  descendants,  operated  upon  some  of  the  early  colonists 
of  this  country.  A  spirit  of  enterprise  natural  to  enlightened  men, 
induced  others  to  come  and  see,  and  in  doing  this,  they  became  at- 
tached and  fixed  to  these  shores  which  their  posterity  now  inhabit. 
Others  had  different  motives  for  emigration ;  a  love  of  freedom  in 
thought  and  speech.  They  were  fully  sensible  of  their  situation. 
They  could  not  anticipate  all  the  occurrences  which  might  happen 
in  their  destinies,  but  they  were  determined  to  commence  upon  the 
broad  principle,  that  knowledge  and  virtue  are  the  pillars  of  power 
and  security  in  every  national  code.  They  saw  physical  means 
about  them  for  an  almost  interminable  increase  of  population. 
The  sea  was  on  one  side,  and  boundless  forests  on  the  other.  Navi- 
gable rivers  were  flowing  into  the  oceans.  Nothing  but  a  thinly 
scattered  race  of  rude  men  stood  in  their  way  to  the  founding  of  an 
empire  larger  than  the  world  had  ever  seen.  Nature  seemed  to 
have  waited  from  her  birth  until  this  hour  for  their  coming,  to  give 
them  possession  of  her  bounties.  This  was  the  place  for  contem- 
plation, and  a  place  to  originate  a  new  course  of  thoughts  upon 
political  and  civil  liberty.  There  were,  in  these  retreats,  no  shouts 
of  the  conqueror,  no  moans  of  the  conquered ;  the  time  resembled 
the  cool  of  the  evening,  and  the  place  the  abode  of  innocence,  when 
and  where  other  beings  were  at  rest,  and  God  walked  with  man  in 
his  primeval  state.  Every  thing,  in  America,  was  to  be  begun,  and 
every  thing  seemed  to  depend  on  themselves ;  with  this  happy  differ- 
ence, however,  between  us  and  those  in  paradise,  for  our  safety  and 
happiness  were  to  depend  upon  eating  freely  of  the  tree  of  know- 
ledge, which  was  forbidden  to  him  who  first  sprang  from  the  dust 
of  the  earth.  Here  was  offered  the  opportunity  to  cultivate  the 
mind  without  the  trammels  and  fetters  which  embarrass  and  bind 
those  born  in  aged  and  decaying  communities.  Here,  plains,  and 
vales,  and  hills,  offered  opportunities  for  all  the  experiments  of  agri- 
culture. No  agrarian  law  was  needed  to  give  men  an  equality; 
there  was  one  passed  already  by  nature  without  stint.  The  sites 
for  cities  were  unoccupied;  and  they  exercised  their  judgments 
upon  this  subject  of  a  proper  place  to  build  them,  without  statutes 
or  restraints.  The  political  compact  was  to  be  formed  and  altered 
as  the  covenanters  could  agree;  for  there  was  no  other  lawgiver 
D 


38  LECTURES  ON 

than  their  own  understandings ;  no  Solans  but  their  own  wisdom, 
no  Lycurg-uses  but  the  severe  discussions  of  their  own  judgements. 
There  was  no  syren  to  allure  them  from  their  duties  to  the  rocks  on 
which  they  might  split ;  no  soft  laps  of  pleasure  on  which  they 
might  sleep  until  their  locks  of  strength  were  shorn.  There  were 
no  beds  of  flowers  beneath  which  the  serpents  flattery  and  fashion 
might  glide  to  wound  their  naked  feet  with  sharp  stings.  Indolence 
to  them  would  have  been  death  ;  and  labour,  that  supposed  curse  on 
man,  was  a  blessing.  Thus  stripped  of  every  shackle,  they  began 
their  work  of  founding  an  empire.  By  the  lights  emitted  from  their 
minds  shall  we  trace  the  path  they  pursued,  and  the  deeds  they 
performed.  The  light  of  the  sun  passes  away  with  the  going  down 
of  the  same ;  but  the  accumulated  light  of  successive  ages  of  intel- 
lect, like  the  precious  stones  which  adorn  the  city  of  God,  chases 
away  all  darkness,  and  beams  in  eternal  splendour. 

But  to  descend  from  general  remarks  to  more  particular  details, 
and  follow  our  country  through  its  infancy,  youth,  and  manhood,  in 
the  progress  of  knowledge  and  growth  of  intellect,  is  more  distinctly 
the  duties  we  prescribed  as  a  course  to  pursue. 

In  1584,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  visited  this  continent,  and,  naturally 
of  a  romantic  turn,  he  gave  such  favourable  accounts  of  it,  as  kept 
alive  the  disposition  to  emigrate ;  and  which  were  also  sufficient  to 
feed  the  hopes  of  speculators,  who  had  turned  their  attention  to 
this  country. 

The  first  settlement  of  any  importance  was  not,  however,  made  for 
several  years  after  his  return.  It  took  some  time  for  the  adventurers 
to  pluck  up  at  home,  and  transplant  themselves  in  an  almost  un- 
known world. 

In  1606  the  Virginia  settlement  began.  It  was  not  at  first  pros- 
perous, but  at  length  succeeded.  The  Dutch  soon  formed  another 
settlement  on  the  Hudson  river.  The  next  settlement  was  made  at 
Plymouth  by  the  pilgrims,  as  they  were  called  by  the  historians  of 
that  day ;  and  which  appropriate  name  they  have  ever  since  retained. 
The  settlers  of  Virginia  were  allured  by  a  love  of  gold,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  aggrandizement,  to  commence  their  labours.  They  had  a 
leader  in  Capt.  John  Smith,  more  capable  of  commanding  an  enter- 
prise, than  any  person  history  or  fable  has  ever  described. 

He  was  acquainted  with  man  in  various  countries,  and  had  deeply 
read  the  human  heart.  Full  of  resources,  he  was  capable  of  keeping 
his  followers  together,  when  they  would  have  deserted  any  other 
man  ;  and  of  supporting  them,  when  under  any  other  leader  they 
would  have  starved.  He  did  not  confine  his  reserches  to  one  small 
region,  but  coursed  along  the  seaboard  to  a  high  northern  latitude  j 
nnd  in  the  spirit  of  a  great  adventurer,  drew  a  chart  of  his  voyage, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  39 

and  set  down  most  judicious  remarks  upon  all  he  saw  or  did.  Thus 
Virginia  has  the  honour  of  a  founder,  who  was  at  once  a  hero^  a  scho- 
lar, a  man  of  science,  and  a  man  of  the  world ;  and  what  is  more, 
"  a  most  right  honest  man." 

The  old  world  were  soon  made  acquainted  with  the  new,  through 
the  medium  of  his  pen.  He  published  his  sixth  voyage  to  Virginia 
in  1608 ;  the  first  voyage  to  New  England,  with  the  old  and  new 
names,  1614 ;  a  relation  of  his  second  voyage  to  New-England, 
1615 ;  and  a  description  of  the  country,  in  1617 ;  New-England's 
trials,  in  1620,  and  the  general  history  of  Virginia,  New-England, 
and  the  Summer  Isles.  Purchas  had  previously  published  Smith's 
adventures  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Such  a  man  might  be  supposed  to  have  given  an  impulse  to  an 
infant  settlement,  beyond  that  of  common  adventurers ;  but  his  fol- 
lowers wanted  concert  and  sympathy  with  each  other,  and  did  not 
profit  by  his  example  and  advice,  as  they  ought  to  have  done. 

The  pilgrims  were  of  a  different  class.  They  had  left  England 
for  religious  freedom  ;  had  sojourned  for  a  time  in  Holland ;  and 
had  ventured  upon  these  shores,  in  an  inclement  season,  buoyed  up 
by  the  belief,  that  the  God  they  worshipped  would  go  before  them, 
and  help  them  in  the  wilderness. 

They  had  quarrelled  with  the  church  of  England,  and  abhorred 
the  church  of  Rome.  From  the  austerity  of  their  lives,  and  the 
simplicity  of  their  manners  and  habits,  they  had  in  their  own 
country  received  the  name  of  Puritans,  and  had  received  it  as  a 
common  appellation.  The  doctrines  they  professed,  it  is  not  my 
intention  now  to  discuss,  or  offer  an  opinion  upon  them.  No 
matter  who  were  right  or  who  were  wrong ;  these  Puritans  had 
opened  a  discussion,  which  ages  will  not  close.  A  handful  of  men 
were  landed  on  the  coast  of  New-England,  and  as  it  often  happens 
in  human  events,  their  very  feebleness  became  their  protection. 
If  their  numbers  had  been  considerable,  the  Indians  would  have 
been  jealous  of  them,  and  associated  then,  as  they  did  fifty  years 
afterwards,  to  destroy  them.  They  were  at  first  to  the  natives 
rather  subjects  of  curiosity  than  fear.  These  emigrants  were  a 
reading  and  a  thinking  people.  They  had  been  bred  in  the  war- 
fare of  religious  controversy,  and  each,  and  all,  could  give  the 
reasons  for  the  faith  within  them.  They  had  left  numerous  con- 
nexions in  England,  who  were  anxious  to  hear  from  them ;  and  re- 
ligious friends,  who  were  desirous  of  knowing  how  they  prospered 
in  building  up  a  church. 

On  the  return  of  every  vessel  to  their  native  land,  men,  women, 
and  children,  wrote  of  all  they  had  seen,  suffered,  or  enjoyed,  to  the 
most  minute  circumstance.  The  extraordinary  events  of  every 


40  LECTURES  ON 

changing  season,  (and  every  event  is  extraordinary,  when  men  are 
placed  in  new  and  singular  situations,)  were  faithfully  recorded  by 
the  leaders  of  this  little  band,  with  the  minuteness  of  a  missionary 
journalist,  of  the  character  of  which  they  were.  Distance  of  place, 
and  novelty  of  situation,  give  importance  to  trifles  in  themselves ; 
and  aU  the  small  things  have  become  great,  from  the  greatness  of 
their  results.  But  from  whatever  cause  it  may  have  happened,  the 
fact  is  certain,  that  every  thing  relating  to  these  early  settlers,  has 
come  down  to  us  in  the  most  authentic  form. 

The  next  settlement,  was  that  of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  in  1630.  These  people  came  able  handed,  with  wealth  and 
wise  men,  whose  objects  were  of  this  world  and  the  next  united. 
They  were  men  of  distinction  in  their  own  land  ;  were  also  learned 
in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  age,  and  had  well  defined  plans  of  religious 
associations  and  political  institutions.  They  began  their  labours  at 
once  with  courage,  and  pursued  them  with  success.  Here  was  at 
once  opened  the  widest  field  for  their  exertions.  They  could  here 
reason  upon  the  divine  right  of  kings  without  fear  of  the  axe,  and 
speak  of  the  Pope  without  fear  of  the  faggot.  They  construed  the 
Magna  Charta  as  they  pleased,  and  interpreted  the  Scriptures  $s 
the  Spirit  gave  them  light  and  utterance.  These  second  comers 
were  in  full  communion,  in  most  things,  with  the  pilgrims  ;  and  the 
course  they  followed  was  so  nearly  alike,  that  in  the  further  view  of 
our  subject,  we  shall  not  make  any  discrimination  between  them,  in 
a  moral  point  of  view ;  for  if  these  streams  were  not  then  united, 
they  ran  side  by  side  until  their  waters  commingled  and  flowed  on 
together. 

I  have  said  that  they  were  acquainted  with  the  literature  of  the 
age ;  but  the  great  fountain  of  their  knowledge  was  the  Bible. 
From  this  they  drew  their  morals ;  and  where  could  purer  morality 
be  found  ?  From  this  they  supplied  their  religious  creed ;  and  from 
whence  shall  revelation  come,  if  not  from  the  sacred  word  ?  From 
this  they  drew  their  political  creed,  that  "  those  who  ruled  over  men 
should  be  just,  ruling-  in  the  fear  of  God."  From  the  scriptures 
they  drew  their  knowledge  of  men ;  and  what  history  is  so  full  of 
the  workings  of  the  human  heart  ?  From  this  book  they  derived 
their  knowledge  of  their  vernacular  tongue ;  and  I  would  ask,  what 
book  there  is  to  be  found  of  purer  English,  than  the  translation  of 
the  Bible  ?  I  am  not  contending  for  the  accuracy  of  every  trans- 
lation ;  but  it  will  not  be  denied,  when  I  say,  that  a  very  copious 
vocabulary  of  good  English  words  may  be  made  from  the  pages  of 
the  common  version  of  the  Bible. 

Their  philosophy  of  the  mind,  and  their  knowledge  of  the  cha- 
racter of  the  Supreme  Being,  was  also  sought  for  in  the  hallowed 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  41 

pages  of  the  Bible ;  precisely  where  they  ought  to  have  been 
sought  for. 

It  is  by  example  as  well  as  precept  that  we  profit  in  our  lives  and 
conversation,  and  what  book  can  be  found  that  will  furnish  us  with 
so  many  models  of  meekness,  patience,  honourable  feeling,  gene- 
rosity, and  affection,  as  the  sacred  volume  1  It  is  full  of  historical 
detail,  of  incident,  and  dramatic  effect.  There  is  in  it  every  species 
of  writing  from  the  simplest  narrative  to  the  most  affecting  tragedy. 
The  sweetness  of  its  verse,  the  loftiness  of  its  poetry,  the  boldness 
of  its  delineations,  and,  above  all,  the  warmth  of  its  descriptions,  and 
the  depth  of  its  inspiration,  all  conspire  to  suit,  in  some  part  or  other, 
every  taste  and  capacity.  The  child  is  delighted  with  reading  the 
Bible.  The  young  man,  yea,  all  men  look  into  it  for  lessons  of  elo- 
cution ;  and  the  poets  dwell  upon  it  for  models  of  composition. 
Many  of  our  fathers  read  the  scriptures  in  the  original  Hebrew ;  for 
they  were  more  than  any  other  race  of  men  of  this  country  versed 
in  all  the  niceties  and  beauties  of  that  language.  It  is  a  primitive 
tongue,  if  any  one  can  be  called  so,  and  it  seems  to  carry  you  back 
to  the  elements  of  thinking  and  speaking.  I  perhaps  dwell  on  this 
subject  with  enthusiastic  fondness,  but  I  love  to  come  often  and 
drink  of  the 

"  Sweet  waters  welling  from  the  sacred  spring." 

The  settlers  of  the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  had  as  much 
piety,  more  learning,  and  more  ambition,  than  the  pilgrims ;  they 
began  stronger  handed,  and  if  with  no  more  fixedness  of  purpose, 
certainly,  with  more  clearness  of  design,  than  the  pilgrims ;  but  no 
men  could  have  higher  claims  to  moral  worth  than  the  first  settlers 
of  Plymouth.  The  leader  and  first  Governor  of  this  bay  province, 
was  a  lawyer,  and  a  most  eloquent  and  learned  man.  There  was  a 
precision  and  a  legal  cast  of  character  in  all  their  proceedings,  which 
show  that  the  framers  of  their  laws  were  not  unacquainted  with  the 
technical  language  of  the  English  statute  books,  and  the  courts  of 
justice.  Their  religious  opinions  prevented  them  from  being  fa- 
vourites at  home ;  but  they  were  not  forced  to  come  abroad. 
There  was  as  much  of  adventure  as  of  necessity  in  their  emigration. 
With  their  prayers  for  protection  and  prosperity  were  mingled 
visions  of  their  future  glories.  They  had  learned  from  the  sacred 
volume  that  means  were  necessary  to  produce  ends,  even  when  God 
himself  had  ordered  the  thing  to  be  done,  and  the  connection  be- 
tween them  could  not  be  seen  by  the  limited  understandings  of 
men.  The  hands  of  Moses  must  be  raised,  that  Moab  might  be 
smitten,  although  his  hand  grasped  no  sword,  and  he  was  afar  from 
the  field  of  battle.  They  fixed  on  the  means  which,  in  the  ordinary 
D!2  6 


42  LECTURES  ON 

course  of  providence  produced  such  ends  as  they  prayed  for.  To 
watch  the  humble  mansion  as  it  was  erected ;  to  listen  to  all  the  pa- 
triarchal instruction  as  it  flowed  at  the  family  altar ;  to  contemplate 
the  rude  structure  in  which  public  worship  was  at  first  performed  ; 
to  note  the  infant  seminaries  of  instruction  as  they  arose ;  to  watch 
the  police,  apparently  as  simple  as  that  of  the  barbarians  around 
them,  yet  still  guarded  by  every  great  principle  embraced  in  the 
charter  of  British  liberties,  and  the  still  greater  principles  of  the 
moral  law,  founded  upon  justice,  and  written  on  the  human 
heart ;  to  do  all  this,  and  more,  would  be  a  delightful  task  ;  but  it  is 
the  privilege  of  but  few  to  indulge  minutely  in  these  retrospections, 
so  honourable  to  our  fathers  and  so  useful  to  us.  Our  fathers  had 
failings,  for  they  were  but  men.  It  will  be  found,  however,  that  the 
more  they  are  inspected,  and  tried,  the  more  conspicuous  will  be 
their  merits,  and  the  deeper  will  be  the  sense  of  our  obligations  to 
them  for  what  they  did. 

I  will  endeavour,  with  as  much  justice  and  impartiality  as  I  can, 
to  go  up  to  the  springs  of  our  institutions,  and  trace  the  sources  of 
our  literature  and  sciences ;  and  will,  as  fairly  as  I  am  able,  give  the 
brief  history  of  the  merits  of  the  colonies  as  they  arose  and  flourish- 
ed ;  but  as  I  proceed  through  details  of  the  history  of  their  minds 
and  its  productions,  I  shall  ask  for  the  candid  remarks  of  the  en- 
lightened and  liberal,  and  I  promise  to  profit  by  judicious  hints  and 
honest  criticisms.  I  am  nothing  more  than  one  of  the  pioneers  in 
the  great  work  of  redeeming  our  fame  from  the  foul  aspersions  of 
our  enemies.  I  have  written  for  the  instruction  of  the  rising,  and 
to  awake  the  recollections  of  the  risen  generation.  I  invoke  the 
scholar  and  the  patriot  to  aid  me  in  this  undertaking,  that  justice 
may  be  done  to  our  common  country.  The  fond  hope  of  sometimes 
catching  the  ear  of  taste,  and  of  eliciting  the  approving  smile  of 
beauty,  has  often  cheered  me  in  my  labours,  but  if  the  patriotick 
should  not  hear  my  invocations,  or  taste  lend  her  ear,  nor  loveliness 
lavish  her  smiles,  still  I  can  console  myself  with  a  consciousness 
that  my  admiration  of  the  reputation  of  our  ancestors,  and  the 
wish  to  do  some  good  to  my  fellow-men,  were  the  strongest  mo- 
tives for  my  exertions. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  43 


LECTURE  III. 


'So  Proridence  for  us,  high,  infinite, 
Makes  our  necessities  its  watchful  tank, 
Hearkens  to  all  our  prayers,helps  all  our  wante; 
And  e'en  if  it  denies  what  seems  our  right, 
Either  denies  because  'twould  have  us  ask, 
Or  seems  but  to  deny,  or  in  denying  grants." 

TV  making  our  researches,  for  the  literature  of  any  particular  pe- 
riod, we  must  necessarily  go  to  the  men  of  that  age ;  for  who  they 
were,  and  what  they  did,  are  so  intimately  connected  with  what 
they  wrote,  that  it  may  be  the  better  course  to  name  some  of  those, 
together  with  their  works,  who  first  enlightened  the  country  by  their 
literary  and  religious  labours. 

In  the  little  band  of  pilgrims,  there  were  several  men  of  cultivated 
minds.  The  venerable  Brewster,  who  was  chosen  the  ruling  elder 
among  them,  had  been  educated  in  the  school  of  diplomacy  ;  having 
been  secretary  to  one  of  the  ambassadors  of  Elizabeth.  He  was  a 
brave  soldier,  and  well  acquainted  with  the  military  tacticks  of  his 
time.  His  talents,  united  to  his  gravity,  age,  and  sanctity,  made  him 
a  very  proper  person  for  a  leader.  Carver,  the  first  governor  of 
Plymouth,  was  also  a  man  of  enterprise,  intelligence,  and  great  be- 
nevolence, and  quite  a  business  man ;  and  his  letters  upon  the  con- 
tract he  had  made  with  the  Virginia  Company,  show  him  to  be  a 
well  educated  one. 

Bradford,  who  was  governor  after  the  death  of  Carver,  was  a  man 
of  sense ;  was  bred  a  lawyer ;  was  a  good  scholar,  well  read  in  the 
modern  languages,  and  knew  something  of  the  classicks.  This  gen- 
tleman kept  a  most  minute  and  faithful  journal  of  events ;  but  they 
were  not  all  published,  and  most  of  them  have  been  lost.  Some  few 
scraps  have  been  found,  which  are  now  in  the  Massachusetts  His- 
torical collection ;  but  Moreton  and  others  had  read  his  manuscripts, 
and  it  is  probable,  we  have  no  small  portion  of  their  substance  in 
other  works. 

Miles  Standish,  their  military  captain,  was  not  only  a  good  soldier, 
but  highly  respectable  in  point  of  acquirements ;  having  been  ap- 
pointed, in  difficult  times,  an  agent  for  the  company  in  England, 
and  sent  over  as  a  financier ;  and  it  was  thought  his  mission  was 
well  executed  when  he  was  able  to  hire  money  at  fifty  pounds  on 


44  LECTURES  ON 

the  hundred ;  so  low  was  the  credit  of  the  colony.  He  probably 
loved  to  fight  better  than  to  pray,  exhort,  or  teach ;  and  of  course 
he  was  not  so  much  celebrated  in  the  churches,  as  he  might  have 
been,  had  he  been  more  of  a  saint  and  less  of  a  hero ;  but  a  braver 
man  never  lived,  than  Miles  Standish,  nor  a  more  useful  one  for  an 
infant  settlement. 

Edward  Winslow,  another  of  these  hero-pilgrims,  was  also  go- 
vernor of  the  colony,  and  esteemed  a  fine  scholar.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  active  and  intelligent  of  the  first  emigrants.  He  journeyed 
from  place  to  place,  visiting  the  several  tribes  of  Indians,  to  keep 
them  in  peace  and  quietness,  and  always  managed  them  with  great 
discretion,  being  at  once  fearless  of  their  power,  and  tender  of  their 
feelings.  He  v  isited  England  also,  for  the  good  of  the  colony,  and  suf- 
fered imprisonment  for  the  cause  during  the  arbitrary  rule  of  Laud. 
His  writings  were  valuable,  and  are  now  highly  esteemed ;  for  he  was 
one  of  those  few,  in  that  age,  who  showed  a  true  spirit  of  philosophy 
in  the  midst  of  religious  zeal.  Purchas  has  preserved  some  of  his 
writings  in  his  collections. 

To  be  assured  that  this  people  were  well  informed,  and  understood 
their  civil  as  well  as  religious  rights,  we  only  need  look  to  their  con- 
tracts, drawn  up  and  signed  onboard  the  May-flower,  on  the  llth  of 
November,  1620.  This  was  the  very  first  instance  of  power,  coming 
without  influence  or  control  from  the  people  themselves ;  and  the 
style  and  matter  of  this  Magna  Charta  of  American  liberties,  do 
honour  to  the  intellects  of  those  who  formed  it.  The  whole  super- 
structure they  designed  and  reared,  was  based  on  knowledge  and 
virtue,  and  implied  the  establishment  of  schools  and  a  supply  of 
teachers ;  and  of  course  we  find,  among  their  first  acts,  after  the 
immediate  wants  of  nature  were  supplied,  was  the  establishment 
of  schools,  with  penalties  for  any  breach  of  their  ordinances. 

The  records  of  this  colony,  kept  during  the  time  they  were  dis- 
tinct and  separate  from  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  which 
was  so  for  more  than  seventy  years,  has  been  lately  copied  by  the  order 
of  the  legislature  of  Massachusetts ;  and  it  is  found  to  contain  many 
excellent  ordinances,  decrees,  or  laws,  well  adapted  to  their  character 
and  situation.  The  thorough-bred  politician  of  the  day  might  smile 
at  the  simplicity  of  some  of  them ;  but  they  were  suited  to  the  age 
and  the  people  for  which  they  were  made ;  and  this  is  the  true  phi- 
losophy of  all  law  making.  The  histories  which  we  now  have  of 
that  age  and  people,  are  the  best  authenticated  of  any  histories  ex- 
tant. Morton's  memorial,  which  is  often  referred  to,  is  an  invaluable 
work.  The  writer,  who  was  in  that  colony  from  early  life  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  was  a  relation  of  Governor  Bradford.  He  was 
also  secretary  of  the  colony,  which  gave  him  a  fine  opportunity  to 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  45 

know  the  passing  events.  The  memorial  was  printed  in  the  life 
time  of  the  author,  in  1669.  It  went  through  an  ordeal  of  criticism 
before  it  was  sent  to  the  press,  being  inspected  by  two  learned,  grave 
divines,  Mr.  Higginson  of  Salem,  and  Mr.  Thatcher  of  Weymouth; 
and  the  work  and  the  author  were  commended  to  the  faithful.  In 
1721,  it  was  reprinted  and  published  by  Josiah  Cotton,  register  of 
deeds  for  the  county  of  Plymouth.  The  editor,  Mr.  Cotton,  was  an 
antiquarian,  and  he  made  an  appendix  lo  the  work,  but  did  not  do 
so  much  as  he  might  have  done  at  that  day  for  his  author,  or  for 
himself.  From  this  edition  there  have  been  reprints ;  one  in  1772, 
at  Newport,  R.  I.,  and  another  in  1826,  at  Plymouth. 

This  year,  1827,  an  improved  edition  of  the  memorial  has  issued 
froirrthe  press  in  Boston,  under  the  sanction  of  a  name  now  connect- 
ed with  the  literature  of  our  country,  in  its  earlier  and  latter  days; 
as  an  antiquarian,  Judge  Davis  has  but  few  equals ;  as  a  writer  of 
taste  and  talent,  no  superiour  among  the  literati  of  the  United  States. 
Besides  the  Memorial,  and  Winslow's  Good  News  from  New-Eng- 
land, and  others  we  have  mentioned,  there  is  a  work  called  MourVs 
Journal,  whose  history  seems  to  have  been  involved  in  some  mys- 
tery ;  but  the  fortunate  circumstance  of  finding  a  complete  copy  of 
this  work  in  1819,  has,  in  a  good  measure,  removed  all  difficulties  about 
it  To  Mr.  Duponceau,  of  Philadelphia,  we  are  indebted  for  this, 
as  the  country  is  for  some  of  the  most  learned  and  satisfactory 
essays  upon  its  history  and  literature  which  have  ever  been  pub- 
lished in  it.  The  name  of  the  journalist  was  not  to  be  found  in  the 
catalogue  of  the  first  settlers,  but  a  critical  writer  in  the  North  Ame- 
rican Review,  with  much  plausibility,  places  him  among  the  "Mer- 
chant adventurers"  of  that  day,  who  had  been  assiduous  in  obtaining 
information  from  the  New  World.  It  was  a  time  of  great  curiosity 
in  Europe  respecting  this  country.  The  avaricious  were  still  in- 
dulging dreams  of  gold,  although  there  had  been  so  many  disap- 
pointments ;  the  lovers  of  religious  freedom  looked  to  it  as  an  asylum 
for  the  persecuted  of  all  nations ;  and  the  political  economists  were 
hailing  it  as  the  future  receptacle  of  the  surplus  population  of  de- 
cayed and  falling  nations.  These  were  favourable  auguries,  but 
there  were  no  certainties  in  the  destinies  of  these  adventurers.  Nu- 
merous tribes  of  Indians  surrounded  them,  and  it  was  uncertain  how 
much  they  would  be  assisted  by  more  distant  tribes,  in  some  future 
day,  in  case  of  war;  and  it  was  still  doubtful  what  course  the  nations 
of  Europe  might  pursue  in  some  remote  period  towards  these  set- 
tlements, when  urged  by  love  of  power,  or  gain,  or  revenge.  The 
seed  sown  had  indeed  come  up  well,  the  plants  were  thriving,  but 
what  frosts,  or  blights,  or  mildews  might  come,  it  was  beyond  hu- 
man foresight  to  divine ;  but  their  hopes  were  in  the  God  of  their 


48  LECTURES  ON 

fathers,  and  in  his  promises  to  those  who  sought  aright  and  followed 
his  precepts  in  singleness  of  heart. 

The  transition  is  easy  from  individuals  of  the  pilgrims  to  those 
of  the  Massachusetts  colonists.  This  colony  was  contemplated 
earlier,  but  not  much  was  done  until  the  summer  of  1630,  when 
Governor  Winthrop  and  Deputy-Governor  Dudley,  Sir  Richard  Sal- 
tonstall,  Mr.  Johnson,  and  others,  several  of  them  learned  divines  and 
eminent  physicians,  sailed  from  England  in  a  fleet  of  twelve  ships, 
containing  fifteen  hundred  souls.  Many  of  these  adventurers  died, 
during  a  long  voyage,  by  the  small  pox,  and  other  diseases  ;  and 
there  were  no  ready  accommodations  for  them  when  they  reached 
these  shores,  and  of  course  many  died  soon  after  their  landing. 
But  notwithstanding  every  discouragement,  they  instantly  set  about 
organizing  themselves  into  churches,  and,  trusting  in  heaven,  went 
on  as  if  in  the  utmost  prosperity.  Winthrop  was  truly  a  great  man, 
and  so  were  many  of  his  coadjutors.  Winthrop  had  been  a  distin- 
guished lawyer  in  Groton,  in  the  county  of  Suffolk,  before  he  came 
to  this  country.  It  was  thought  a  great  acquisition  to  the  enterprise 
when  he  was  induced  to  join  it.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
great  doctrines  of  civil  liberty,  which  had  just  begun  to  be  thoroughly 
examined  by  the  most  eminent  jurists  of  Europe.  The  works  of 
Grotim  had  been  dispersed  though  the  civilized  world,  and  the 
strong  minded  had  profited  by  them. 

Winthrop  not  only  attended  to  his  duty  as  a  chief  magistrate,  but 
kept  a  journal  of  his  proceedings,  and  the  general  current  of  events, 
from  the  commencement  of  his  voyage  to  the  time  of  his  death,  or 
nearly  to  it,  embracing  the  period  from  1630  to  1649.  A  portion  of 
this  journal  was  preserved  among  his  descendants,  but  not  published 
until  1790 ;  and  other  parts  of  it  were  lost.  It  had  often  been  alluded 
to  as  having  been  a  guide  to  others;  but  all  hopes  of  finding  it  were 
given  up,  when,  in  the  spring  of  1816,  the  lost  manuscript  was  dis- 
covered in  the  tower  of  the  old  south  church,  in  Boston.  It  had 
slept  among  the  rubbish  of  a  church  library  until  this  time.  The 
antiquarian  considered  it  a  God-send,  and  the  lovers  of  American 
literature  at  large  were  much  delighted  at  this  discovery.  Here  was 
something  authentick  ;  a  history  written  day  by  day,  as  the  events 
transpired,  by  one  who  knew  the  whole  matter,  and  in  which  he 
acted  no  small  part :  a  journal  not  written  to  please  any  set  of  men, 
or  to  assist  the  designs  of  a  party.  This  valuable  manuscript  was 
put  into  the  hands  of  James  Savage,  Esq.,  a  lawyer  of  distinction  at 
the  Suffolk  bar,  whose  taste  and  talents  fitted  him  for  the  task  of 
arranging  and  commenting  upon  it.  The  learned  notes  given  to  the 
world  by  that  gentleman,  in  his  edition  of  this  journal,  justly  entitle 
him  to  the  thanks  and  respect  of  his  countrymen.  The  life  of  Win- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  47 

throp  was  one  of  great  activity,  magnanimity,  and  suffering,  and  adds 
another  fact  to  prove  that  the  pioneers  in  all  great  enterprises  must 
be  actuated  by  high  motives  and  patriotic  feelings ;  for  their  enjoy- 
ment is  scanty,  and  the  sun  of  glory  bursts  not  from  the  cloud  to 
cheer  their  parting  souls,  but  shines  only  on  their  mouldering  monu- 
ments. 

Dudley,  the  deputy  governor,  was  a  man  well  educated,  and  from 
his  letters,  appears  to  have  had  a  correct  view  of  the  undertaking  of 
building  up  a  church  in  the  wilderness,  although  he  did  not  rank 
with  the  very  learned  men  of  his  time.  He  had  more  learning, 
however,  than  tolerance.  It  was  not  an  age  of  liberal  feeling. 

Sir  Richard  Saltonstall  did  not  come  out  with  any  pretensions  to 
learning ;  he  was  a  statesman  of  no  small  parts,  but  from  his  report, 
which  is  to  be  found  in  the  appendix  to  Winthrop's  journal,  Savage's 
edition,  he  appears  to  have  been  well  educated ;  for  it  is  written  in 
better  English,  and  in  a  more  elegant  style,  than  other  specimens  of 
that  period ;  except  perhaps  some  of  Winthrop's  works. 

John  Wilson,  the  pastor  of  the  first  church  in  Boston,  was  a  learned 
man— spoke  Latin  with  great  fluency.  He  was  a  firm  friend  to 
liberality  and  science,  and  was,  generally,  both  the  friend  of  Win- 
throp  and  of  Cotton  ;  but  when  called  to  decide  in  the  antinomian 
controversy,  he  joined  with  Winthrop  against  his  ecclesiastical  senior. 

John  Elliot,  generally  styled  "  the  apostle  to  the  Indians,"  deserves 
to  be  remembered  among  the  good  and  learned  men  of  that  age. 
He  came  to  Boston  in  1631  ;  and  although  he  intended  settling  at 
Boston,  chose  to  live  at  Roxbury,  and  was  there  a  great  favourite  of 
his  congregation  throughout  his  long  life.  *But  one  opinion  has  ever 
been  entertained  of  this  great  scholar  and  Christian  philanthropist 
Gifted  by  nature  with  quick  perceptions,  and  a  strong  memory,  to 
which  was  added  the  most  untiring  industry,  he  became  an  admira- 
ble linguist ;  and  soon  made  himself  master  of  the  Indian  language. 
He  preached  to  the  Indians,  who  readily  understood  him ;  and,  with 
immense  labour,  he  succeeded  in  translating  the  Bible  and  several 
religious  tracts  into  their  vernacular  tongue.  This  Indian  Bible  is 
now  a  great  curiosity.  Probably  there  is  not  three  men  living  who 
can  do  more  than  pick  out  a  few  words  which  they  can  read  and 
understand.  Elliot  was  a  man  of  great  simplicity  of  character ;  zeal- 
ous in  his  profession,  and  ardent  in  his  desire  to  convert  the  Indians; 
but  this  was  destined  to  be  of  more  benefit  to  the  whites  than  to  the 
Indians;  for,  in  the  Pequod  war,  these  "praying  Indians,"  as  those 
converted  by  Mr.  Elliot  were  called,  were  either  neutral  or  friendly 
to  the  whites ;  and  a  different  feeling  towards  the  colonies  would 
have  been  dangerous  to  the  new  settlement.  Elliot  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  rights  of  man,  in  his  civil  as  well  as  religious  ch*. 


48  LECTURES  ON 

racter.  He  wrote  the  first  political  pamphlet  which  was  pxiblished 
in  this  country,  entitled  "  The  Christian  Commonwealth."  This 
work  is  full  of  free  and  noble  principles;  but  the  magistrates  took 
alarm  at  it,  and  the  good  man  had  to  recant  his  opinions,  or  rather 
apologize  for  this  publication.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-six ;  to 
a  time  when  the  colonies  had  grown  to  a  large  and  flourishing  peo- 
ple. The  tribe  of  Indians  which  he  instructed  is  now  nearly  extinct. 
There  are  not  more  than  a  dozen  of  them  left.  One  of  these  Naticks 
was  tried,  a  few  years  ago,  for  murdering  his  grandmother,  and  then 
all  that  were  left  of  the  tribe  assembled.  The  Indians  are  fated  to 
fade  away  before  the  progress  of  civilization :  it  was  so  written  in 
the  destiny  of  nations. 

Cotton,  Haynes,  and  Hooker,  all  came  to  this  country  in  1633,  in 
the  same  ship.  The  former  settled  in  Boston,  "  and  in  compliment 
to  him,  in  the  expectation  of  his  coming  from  Boston,  in  Lincolnshire, 
did  that  ancient  town  in  New-England  receive  its  name."  Mr.  Cot- 
ton was,  until  the  time  of  his  death,  the  chief  of  the  apostles  to  the 
new  world.  "  A  mighty  fame  as  a  scholar  and  preacher  had  pre- 
ceded him,"  and  this  expectation  was  not  tarnished  nor  diminished 
by  his  conduct  in  the  colony.  Hooker  went  with  Haynes  to  Con- 
necticut, after  three  years  residence  in  Massachusetts,  as  ministers 
at  Newton.  Haynes  was  one  year  governor  of  the  colony  before  he 
removed.  Hooker  wrote  many  sermons  which  were  printed,  but 
his  greatest  work  was  on  "  Church  Discipline." 

Thomas  Parker,  another  of  the  New-England  fathers,  came  to  the 
country  in  1634,  and  was  for  a  year  an  assistant  to  Mr.  Ward  of 
Ipswich,  and  then  removed  to  Newbury,  on  a  river  which  now  bears 
his  name.  James  Noyes,  his  friend,  was  teacher  to  the  same  people; 
and  these  learned  men  did  much  good  in  their  settlement.  Noyes 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  a  schoolmaster,  and  did  much  to  enlighten 
his  flock.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  later  times,  this  spot  has 
been  noted  for  being  the  birth  place  of  several  learned  men.  Judge 
Parsons,  Professor  Pearson,  Professor  Webber,  Professor  John 
Smith,  and  several  others  of  fame,  were  natives  of  Newbury,  and  born 
near  the  old  farm  of  Mr.  Parker.  While  Noyes  was  training  the 
youthful  mind,  Parker  was  deep  in  the  mysteries  of  the  profession, 
and  produced  a  treatise  which  was  much  read  by  the  learned  of  that 
day.  Mr.  Parker  was  an  amiable  man,  but  some  of  his  writings 
brought  him  into  the  field  of  controversy  with  President  Chauncey. 
It  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  these  controversies  had  really  so  much 
bitterness  in  them  as,  at  this  distance  of  time,  we  may  suppose 
them  to  have  had.  It  was  the  fashion  of  the  day  to  break  a  lance 
with  a  neighbouring  divine  merely  to  try  each  others'  skill  and 
strength,  and  to  acquire,  a  fame  for  shrewdness  and.  learning.  This 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  49 

habit  has,  in  some  measure,  continued  to  the  present  day.  It  is  a 
bloodless  war  of  words,  and  the  discussion  will  be  read  by  many 
who  would  perhaps  read  nothing  else. 

The  name  of  Shephard  is  intimately  connected  with  the  early 
history  of  American  literature.  Thomas,  the  first  in  the  catalogue, 
came  to  Boston  and  Cambridge,  in  1635,  as  successor  to  Hooker, 
who  had  left  this  vineyard  abounding  in  labourers,  and  had  set  out, 
through  the  wilderness,  to  form  a  settlement  on  Connecticut  river, 
at  Hartford.  Mr.  Shephard  was  an  excellent  scholar,  particularly 
deep  in  metaphysicks,  and  yet  he  wrote  without  that  obscurity  which 
is  often  found  in  the  writings  of  men  of  that  cast  of  mind.  He  died 
in  the  forty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  but  he  lived  long  enough  to  pub- 
lish many  works  of  merit.  Several  of  them  were  very  popular. 
"  The  Morality  of  the  Sabbath,"  "  Neio-England's  Lamentation 
for  Old  England's  Errours,"  and  also,  "An  Explanation  of  the 
Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins."  From  this  latter  fountain,  the  great 
Doctor  Edwards  acknowledged  that  he  drew  copiously  in  writing 
his  "  Treatise  on  the  Affections."  Thomas  Shephard's  eldest  son 
bore  his  father's  Christian  name,  and  was  heir  to  his  father's  talents 
and  virtues,  but  he  joined  the  congregation  of  the  dead  still  younger 
than  his  parent.  President  Oakes  delivered  an  elegant  Latin  oration 
upon  his  death.  His  days  were  devoted  to  literature  and  religion. 
There  were  two  other  sons  of  the  elder  Thomas  Shephard,  Samuel 
and  Jeremiah.  The  first  of  these  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven. 
Mitchell  wrote  his  eulogy.  The  latter  Shephard  lived  to  a  good  old 
age.  These  three  sons  were  educated  at  Harvard  College.  Cotton 
Mather  speaks  of  them  with  admiration,  and  says,  "  that  having 
three  such  excellent  ministers  is  something  better  than  to  have  three 
orators,  like  the  Curii  of  Rome." 

Our  ancestors  had  among  them  men  of  all  casts  of  mind,  and  some 
who,  fearless  of  the  austerity  of  the  times,  often  indulged  in  wit  and 
satire.  Of  this  class  no  one  was  more  distinguished  than  Nathaniel 
Ward.  He  was  a  lawyer,  a  divine,  and  a  satirist,  who  came  to  this 
country,  and  for  a  while,  was  settled  at  Ipswich ;  was  invited  to 
preach  the  election  sermon  by  the  freemen,  without  consulting  the 
magistrates,  and  also  to  draw  up  a  code  of  laws,  which  he  did.  This 
code  consisted  of  one  hundred  laws,  called  "  the  body  of  the  liberties." 
Among  his  satirical  works  is  one  called  "  The  simple  Cobbler  of 
Agawam"  He  was  a  high  royalist,  and  this  was  in  part  written  to 
abuse  the  enemies  of  Charles  I.  It  had  been  admired  for  its  caus- 
ticity, but  its  coarseness  is  equal  to  its  pungency. 

Peter  Bulkeley  was  a  gentleman  who  came  to  this  country  to  en- 
joy the  liberty  of  conscience  and  the  liberty  to  preach.  He  was  a 
clergyman  in  Bedfordshire,  and  continued  his  labours  there  for 
E  7 


50  LECTURES  ON 

twenty  years;  but  on  being  silenced  for  non-conformity, he  left  Eng- 
land and  gathered  a  church  in  Concord,  within  twenty  miles  of  Bos- 
ton. His  fortune  was  large  and  his  benevolence  unbounded.  He 
was  said  to  have  been  very  learned.  He  wrote  Latin  poetry ;  some 
scraps  of  which  Cotton  Mather  has  handed  down  to  us.  He  also 
published  a  celebrated  work  on  "  the  covenant  of  grace  opened." 
This  work  went  through  many  editions,  and  was  praised  by  the  great 
theologians  of  that  day. 

Nathaniel  Rogers,  minister  of  Ipswich,  was  a  descendant  of  John 
Rogers,  the  martyr  in  Queen  Mary's  time.  He  came  to  this  country 
in  1636.  He  was  one  of  the  greatest  of  that  distinguished  band  of 
Christian  emigrants  who  suffered  by  the  persecutions  of  Laud.  He 
is  mentioned  in  high  terms  by  Johnson,  Winthrop,  and  Mather. 

Ezekiel  Rogers  came  about  the  year  1638,  and  settled  in  Rowley, 
and  was  held  in  veneration  by  the  people  of  Rowley  and  throughout 
the  colony.  He  preached  the  election  sermon  in  1643.  In  this  he 
advocated  the  pure  democratick  doctrine  of  rotation  in  office,  and 
strenuously  urged  the  good  people  not  to  choose  a  governor  twice 
in  succession :  but  they  did  not  regard  his  advice.  He  was  a  publick 
benefactor,  giving  his  library  by  will  to  Harvard  College,  and  leaving 
considerable  property  for  the  support  of  a  clergyman  in  the  town 
of  Rowley. 

Many  more  of  these  founders  of  the  republick  might  be  named,  if 
our  time  would  allow  it,  who,  for  liberty  of  conscience,  left  ease, 
plenty,  and  friends  in  their  native  land,  and  all  the  charms  of  ele- 
vated society,  and  threw  themselves  upon  the  wilds  of  America. 
Their  hardships  can  never  be  fully  told.  They  spent  their  lives  in 
subduing  nature,  and  teaching  an  humble  flock ;  acting  as  patrons, 
pastors,  physicians,  lawyers,  and  often  as  nurses  to  mind  and  body.  A 
lively  sense  of  duty,  and  a  full  measure  of  grace,  could  alone  have 
supported  them  in  their  labours,  while  in  their  hearts  they  sighed 
for  the  country  they  had  left.  Even  in  their  dreams  they  visited 
the  shores  of  England,  and  could  not  but  acknowledge  that  with  all 
her  faults  they  loved  her  still. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  events  in  the  history  of  our  early 
literature  was  the  founding  of  a  college  in  the  Massachusetts  colony 
at  Cambridge,  in  the  year  1636.  Scarcely  had  they  cultivated  suffi- 
cient ground  to  supply  the  wants  of  nature,  before  they  began  this 
great  work  of  establishing  an  institution  of  learning,  that  theological 
learning  should  not  be  lost  among  them  for  want  of  education.  °fhe 
projectors  were  wise  men,  and  laid  a  good  foundation.  They  were 
unfortunate  in  their  first  president,  who  proved  a  tyrant ;  but  he  was 
aoon  dismissed,  and  an  excellent  man,  President  Dunster,  entered 
upon  the  duties  of  his  office.  He  was  a  man  of  learning  and  great 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  51 

mildness  of  character;  but,  differing  with  the  great  proportion  of  the 
clergymen  of  that  day  on  the  subject  of  baptism,  he  retired  from 
office,  about  fourteen  years  after  his  appointment.  Chauncey  suc- 
ceeded Dunster.  He  had  been  a  minister  at  Situate  in  the  old  colo- 
ny. Dunster  was  a  fine  oriental  scholar,  particularly  well  learned 
in  the  Hebrew ;  and  he  set  about  revising  the  psalms  which  Elliot 
and  his  friends  had  versified  from  David's.  This  corrected  version 
of  Dunster's  passed  through  many  editions,  and  were  used  until  the 
version  of  Tate  and  Brady,  and  that  of  Dr.  Watts,  more  particularly 
took  the  place  of  them.  Under  the  administration  of  Dunster  the 
college  flourished  greatly,  and  acquired  such  fame  in  England,  that 
the  sons  of  the  puritans  were  desirous  of  coming  to  this  country  for 
an  education.  President  Chauncey  had  been  distinguished  in  Eng- 
land, but  falling  under  the  displeasure  of  archbishop  Laud,  he  came 
to  this  country  in  1638.  This  was  a  judicious  appointment ;  for  he 
stood  primus  inter  pares,  as  a  scholar.  Besides  the  dead  languages 
usually  acquired,  he  was  acquainted  with  some  of  the  living  oriental 
languages,  which  were  studied  in  England  in  his  time  by  many  of 
the  great  lights  of  their  universities.  He  was  president  for  seven- 
teen years,  and  the  college  prospered  under  his  care.  He  had  six 
sons,  all  of  whom  graduated  at  Cambridge,  and  were  eminent  in 
their  day  as  divines  and  scholars.  Dr.  Hoar  succeeded  President 
Chauncey.  He  was  a  learned  man,  of  amiable  manners,  who  had 
moved  in  polished  society ;  but  he  had  not  enough  of  the  sternness 
of  the  pedagogue  to  succeed  in  the  government  of  youths,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  leave  his  office  in  a  rebellion  of  the  students.  This 
was  too  great  a  shock  for  his  delicate  nerves,  and  he  sunk  under  this 
affliction  in  the  same  year  of  his  resignation,  at  the  age  of  forty-five. 
Many  learned  men  want  the  spirit  of  discipline  to  govern  boys;  and, 
in  fact,  every  instructor  has  found  this  the  most  difficult  part  of  his 
duty.  He  was  the  first  president  who  was  graduated  at  Harvard 
college. 

President  Oaks,  who  succeeded  Hoar,  was  also  one  of  the  sons  of 
Harvard.  The  office  of  president  he  held,  and  still  continued  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Cambridge.  His  official  life  was  short,  for  he  died 
in  1681.  Dr.  Rogers  was  his  successor:  but  he  died  also  within  a 
year  after  his  installation. 

Increase  Mather  was  now  appointed  President,  and  although 
tainted  with  the  bigotry  of  the  age,  for  he  had  entered  deeply  into  the 
delusions  of  the  belief  of  witchcraft,  yet  he  was  a  very  excellent 
president :  fond  of  encouraging  the  emulous  youths  under  his  care. 

Thus,  this  college,  for  the  first  half  century  of  the  existence  of  the 
colony,  had  flourished  beyond  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  letters;  had 
been  blessed  with  the  munificence  of  the  wealthy  and  the  good,  in 


62  LECTURES  ON 

New-England ;  had  secured  friends  and  patrons  in  the  mother  coun- 
try ;  had  supplied  the  churches  with  learned  divines  to  fill  the  places 
created  by  the  increase  of  population  and  those  made  vacant  by  the 
death  of  the  fathers  of  the  American  church ;  and  others  of  various 
pursuits  were  found  among  the  Alumni  of  Harvard.  Every  man  in 
the  province  considered  this  institution  as  a  monument  he  had  assist- 
ed to  rear,  and  it  became  incorporated  with  every  branch  of  church 
and  state.  The  temporalities  were  remembered  in  the  testaments 
of  the  wealthy,  and  the  righteous  were  unceasing  in  their  prayers 
that,  from  this  fountain,  might  flow  streams  refreshing  to  the  body 
politic,  and  such  as  would  gladden  the  city  of  our  God.  The  go- 
vernment of  the  commonwealth  have,  from  the  beginning,  made, 
from  time  to  time,  liberal  grants  for  its  support,  and  have  constantly 
extended  its  protecting  hand  in  every  hour  of  its  existence. 

Mathematical  science  flourished  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts 
at  a  very  early  period.  John  Sherman,  who  came  to  this  country  in 
1634,  and  was  for  a  short  time  assistant  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips,  at 
Watertown,  was  eminently  learned  in  the  science  of  numbers.  He  left 
Watertown,  and  sojourned  for  several  years  in  Connecticut,  and  there 
preached  occasionally,  but  generally  was  employed  in  public  life ; 
but  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Phillips,  he  was  invited  to  return  to 
Watertown,  to  his  old  parish  ;  and  he  accepted  the  invitation,  and 
took  upon  himself  the  duties  of  a  clergyman  once  more ;  but  his 
active  mind  could  not  be  confined  to  his  parochial  duties,  for  he 
wished  to  do  good  in  every  way  he  could.  On  being  appointed  fel- 
low of  Harvard  college,  he  delivered  lectures  on  scientifick,  moral, 
and  religious  subjects,  which  were  attended  by  the  students  of  the 
university,  and  others.  These  were  the  first  lectures  delivered  on 
auch  subjects  in  thi#  country.  During  this  time,  he  published  an 
almanack,  interspersed  with  religious  remarks,  which  was  a  work 
of  much  talent.  If  iCotton  Mather  may  be  taken  as  authority,  he 
was  profoundly  skilled  in  mathematics,  and  its  kindred  branches  of 
knowledge,  natural  philosophy  and  astronomy.  His  style  of  wri- 
ting had  nothing  of  mathematical  dryness  in  it,  but  was  lofty, 
flowing,  and  eloquent.  (Mr.  Sherman  was  blessed  with  a  numer- 
ous family,  having  twenty-six  children,  and  some  of  his  descendants 
are  among  the  first  people  in  New-England ;  a  greater  number  from 
the  female  branches  than  from  the  male.) 

Of  the  progress  of  the  literature  of  the  ancient  dominion,  during 
the  first  half  century,  after  it  was  so  far  settled  as  to  form  a  regular 
government,  which  was  in  1620, 1  am  not  able  to  give  much  ac- 
count ;  not  that  I  have  not  been  sedulous  in  my  inquiries,  and  con- 
stant in  my  researches  for  this  purpose ;  but,  as  they  were  all  church- 
men in  Virginia  at  this  period,  and  did  not  enter  into  the  polemicks 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  53 

of  the  day,  and  no  extraordinary  man  was  driven  by  persecution  to 
her  shores,  it  is  but  fair  to  suppose  that  they  thought  it  wiser  to  en- 
joy the  hour,  than  to  trouble  themselves  to  record  the  occurrences 
of  their  lives  for  posterity.  They  could  not  have  been  destitute  of 
classical  men,  when,  in  1641,  there  were  about  forty  clergymen  in 
Virginia  extremely  well  paid  for  their  services.  The  salary  of  a 
clergyman  was  then  ten  thousand  pounds  of  tobacco  a  year ;  forty 
shillings  being  a  fee  for  a  funeral  service,  and  twenty  for  a  marriage 
one.  Among  these  divines,  as  well  as  among  the  magistrates,  there 
must  have  been  some  men  of  high  attainments.  There  was  no 
tolerably  accurate  history  of  Virginia  until  Beverley's,  which  was 
published  in  England  in  1665.  He  was  a  man  of  intelligence,  and 
seems  to  have  written  merely  to  correct  the  error,  which  was  pre- 
valent in  England,  on  the  subject  of  Virginia  history. 

Maryland  was  settled  not  far  from  the  time  of  the  planting  of  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  For  this  enterprise  the  world  are 
indebted  to  the  first  and  second  Lords  Baltimore.  The  adventurers 
were  catholicks,  and  are  said  to  have  been  of  high  respectability.  They 
were  as  talented  as  any  of  the  early  colonists,  and  reserved  to  this 
day  extensive  lands  for  the  purposes  of  education.  But  there  are  but 
few  traces  of  their  advancement  in  the  cultivation  of  letters,  for  the 
first  half  century  of  their  existence.  Yet  to  this  state,  as  well  as  to 
Virginia,  many  of  the  royalists  fled  during  the  time  of  Cromwell's 
commonwealth ;  and  surely,  many  of  these  must  have  been  fine 
scholars ;  but  how  they  employed  their  time,  during  that  period,  they 
have  left  us  nothing  but  conjecture,  as  far  as  I  can  discover. 

New- York,  being  all  the  time,  from  its  settlement  to  1664,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Dutch,  we  can  say  nothing  of  its  literature ;  but  there 
is  no  reason  to  suppose  that,  it  was  not  very  considerable.  If  the 
country  does  not  owe  much  to  the  Dutch,  in  the  way  of  its  literary 
establishments,  it  certainly  has  cause  to  respect  them  for  an  indus- 
trious progeny,  always  a  blessing  to  any  country.  It  is  stated  by 
Lamberchtsen,  a  late  historian  of  New-Netherlands,  that  this  colony 
was  partly  settled  by  the  Waldenses  of  Piedmont,  subjects  of  the 
duke  of  Savoy,  who  fled  from  the  persecutions  of  their  sovereign ; 
and  Milton,  and  other  writers,  speak  of  them  as  among  the  most 
virtuous  and  intelligent  of  mankind.  Lamberchtsen's  work  has 
been  made  known  to  us,  for  it  was  locked  up  in  a  language  unknown 
to  most  scholars,  by  one  of  the  first  writers  among  us,  whose  taste 
and  researches  have  done  honour  to  his  country,  G.  Verplank,  of  the 
city  of  New-York ;  and  to  whom  others,  as  well  as  myself,  stand 
deeply  indebted  for  much  instruction,  and  many  a  fine  model  of 
composition.  He  has  burnished  up  the  bullion  of  his  ancestors  with 
admirable  skill,  and  stamped  it  with  inscriptions  of  classical  taste. 
E2 


54  LECTURES  ON 

Connecticut  was  an  emanation  from  the  colony  of  Massachusetts, 
and,  like  the  former,  was  commenced  by  enlightened  men.  Win- 
throp,  the  son  of  the  governor  of  Massachusetts,  an  accomplished 
scholar,  came  out  from  England  with  an  agency  of  the  Lords  Say 
and  Brook,  in  1635,  and  was  chosen  governor  of  Hartford  colony. 
Hopkins,  Haynes,  Wyllys,  Thomas,  Wells,  and  Webster,  were 
governors  after  him.  The  colony  of  New-Haven  was  begun  in  1637, 
and  was  governed  by  Seton,  Newman,  and  Leet,  until  the  union  be- 
tween the  two  colonies.  Winthrop  was  the  most  scientific  man  of 
his  time  among  the  colonists.  He  was  intimate  with  Boyle  and 
Wilkins,  and  assisted  in  founding  the  "  Royal  Society  of  London" 
Douglass,  who  praises  no  one  heartily,  and  abuses  as  many  as  he  can, 
says,  "  Winthrop,  who  died  in  Boston,  March  26,  1649,  was  much 
given  to  experimental  philosophy  and  medicine."  Several  of  his 
receipts  are  still  used  by  that  family  in  charity  to  the  poor.  Some 
of  his  pieces  are  to  be  found  amongst  the  first  philosophical  trans- 
actions of  the  London  Royal  Society.  In  fact,  one  of  the  volumes 
of  the  transactions  of  that  society  was  dedicated  to  him.  He  was 
the  principal  correspondent  of  this  society  in  the  West,  and  they 
had  chosen  the  first  men  in  every  country  for  this  office. 

Leet  was  a  lawyer,  and  a  man  of  talents  and  firmness.  He,  long 
after  his  acting  as  deputy  to  Winthrop,  protected  Whally  and  Goffe, 
the  regicides,  and  behaved  with  high  honour,  and  great  kindness  and 
firmness,  in  this  critical  time.  Hooker  we  have  previously  men- 
tioned. Eaton  was  a  liberal  man,  and  gave  largely  for  the  support 
of  education.  Five  hundred  pounds  of  his  estate  went,  by  a  decree 
of  chancery,  to  Harvard  college ;  and  twice  that  sum  was  given  for 
the  support  of  schools  in  New-Haven,  Hartford,  and  Hadley.  These 
early  settlements  paid  the  same  attention  to  education  that  was  be- 
stowed upon  this  important  subject  in  Massachusetts,  and,  with 
them,  it  has  been  equally  successful.  They  began  wisely,  and  have 
proceeded  judiciously:  but,  as  during  the  half  century  we  are  now 
treating,  they  had  neither  university  nor  press,  still  they  were  im- 
bibing the  elements  of  that  knowledge,  and  cherishing  those  princi- 
ples, which,  in  the  next  half  century,  were  to  develope  themselves  so 
beautifully. 

New-Hampshire  can  hardly  be  considered,  for  the  first  half  cen- 
tury, as  separate  from  the  colony  of  Massachusetts,  in  a  political 
point  of  view,  being  then  virtually  under  the  government  of  the  for- 
mer. The  settlers  were  the  same  sort  of  men ;  and,  in  proportion 
to  their  means,  they  pursued  the  same  course  in  religion  and  letters. 
In  a  few  towns  near  Portsmouth,  churches  were  gathered  and  in- 
struction commenced ;  and,  by  the  second  half  century,  York,  Wells, 
and  other  places,  were  in  a  hopeful  forwardness,  and  were  able  to 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  55 

sustain  their  part  in  the  labours  and  trials  of  extending  the  blessings 
of  civilization  and  knowledge. 

Rhode  Island  was  first  settled  by  Roger  Williams,  a  native  of 
Wales.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1631,  and  was  engaged  in  the 
ministry  in  Salem,  in  Massachusetts.  Some  difficulties  arising  re- 
specting his  doctrines,  he  went  to  Plymouth  colony,  and  from  thence 
returned  to  Salem ;  but  he  became  so  bold  in  preaching  his  tenets, 
both  religious  and  political,  that  they  could  not  endure  to  hear  them. 
He  came  out  fully,  and  said  that  the  charter  of  Massachusetts  was 
good  for  nothing,  as  the  soil  and  sovereignty  was  not  purchased  of 
the  natives.  These  were  unpalatable  doctrines  in  that  day.  He 
would  not  desist  for  the  threats  of  enemies  nor  the  entreaty  of 
friends ;  and  the  magistrates  passed  sentence  of  banishment  on  him, 
and  he  was  exiled  from  the  godly ;  and,  after  many  tribulations,  he 
settled  in  Providence,  a  name  he  gave  the  place  of  his  rest,  in  grati- 
tude to  a  kind  providence  that  had  directed  him  to  so  goodly  an 
heritage.  He  began  by  a  noble  act,  which  contained  at  once  the 
spirit  of  a  true  religion,  and  the  dictates  of  a  sound  philosophy. 
He  began  by  tolerating  all  religious  creeds.  Toleration  was  then 
considered  a  plant  of  a  strange  growth,  that  had  sprung  up  in  errour, 
and  would  soon  die  in  shame.  The  zealous  dreaded  it,  as  a  poison- 
ous weed  that  would  blight  all  the  sweet-scented  flowers  in  the  gar- 
den of  God ;  one  that  would  change  the  balmy  breath  of  religion 
to  moral  pestilence  and  death.  How  often  have  good  men  been 
mistaken.  This  spirit  of  toleration  is  the  bond  of  harmony,  and 
the  protection  of  all  religion.  The  liberty  this  great  founder  of  a 
state  gave  to  others  he  took  for  himself;  for  he  changed  his  own 
sentiments  of  baptism,  and  thought  that  man  must  wait  for  the  ordi- 
nance until  it  was  intimated  to  him  from  heaven.  From  religion,  he 
bent  his  mind  to  the  politics  of  his  settlement;  and  went,  in  1643, 
and  afterwards,  to  England  as  agent  for  his  colony,  and,  on  his  re- 
turn, was  made  president  of  it.  He  was  as  magnanimous  as  he  was 
tolerant ;  for  living  in  the  neighbourhood  of  several  formidable  tribes 
of  Indians,  he  could  at  any  time  have  stirred  them  up  to  avenge 
himself  for  his  banishment ;  but,  so  far  from  taking  this  course,  he 
kept  them  in  peace  with  the  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  Bay  colo- 
nies ;  but,  what  is  more  particularly  to  our  purpose,  Roger  Williams 
wrote  a  key  to  the  Indian  language,  which  is  a  very  learned,  well 
written  book,  and  gives  the  present  generation  a  better  knowledge 
of  the  advancement  of  the  savages  in  their  moral  and  social,  as  well 
as  political  and  warlike  relations,  than  any  other  book  of  that  age. 
He  attacked,  as  a  controversial  writer  on  religious  subjects,  Mr.  Cot- 
ton, Endicot,  George  Fox,  and  others,  with  great  power  and  saga- 
city. He  tolerated  all,  but  followed  none.  His  own  opinions  wer«, 


56  LECTURES  ON 

perhaps,  never  very  fully  settled  in  his  own  mind,  and  this  he  did 
not  conceal  from  others.  His  whole  soul  seemed  constantly  strug- 
gling with  a  spirit  beyond  the  feelings  and  the  knowledge  of  the  age 
in  which  he  lived.  The  eccentricities  of  the  intelligent  are  often 
nothing  more  than  the  agitation  of  the  mind,  pregnant  with  new 
principles  and  inventions,  to  which  accident  may  give  birth. 

During  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  existence  of  our  settlements,  the 
useful  arts  as  well  as  letters  flourished  among  them  to  a  very  con- 
siderable extent.  The  private  dwelling  houses  were  made  more 
comfortable ;  prosperous  villages  grew  up;  a  thrifty  commerce, 
commencing  in  the  fisheries,  was  established ;  merchant  vessels  and 
ships  for  defence  were  built;  (three,  before  1645,  of  300  tons;)  se- 
veral public  edifices  were  erected ;  and  school-houses  convenient  for 
the  great  work  of  publick  instruction  were  built  in  various  parts  of 
the  country.  Much  of  this  prosperity,  with  the  blessing  of  Cod, 
was  undoubtedly  the  effect  of  the  mental  energies  and  moral  cha- 
racter of  the  men  who  conceived  and  achieved  the  enterprise  of  es- 
tablishing an  asylum  in  this  newly  discovered  world. 

But  it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that  the  character  of  the  women 
of  that  age,  had  much  to  do  with  the  success  of  the  undertaking. 
At  the  time  of  the  first  emigration  to  this  country,  the  females  of 
England  were  well  educated,  and  had  a  higher  rank  in  the  scale  of 
mind,  than  at  any  previous  age  in  British  history.  This  had  been 
effected,  in  no  small  degree,  by  the  long  and  prosperous  reign  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  and  her  high  reputation  for  talents  and  learning. 
Fashion  has  often  the  same  control  over  the  mind,  as  over  the  dress 
and  equipage  of  a  people.  It  was  fashionable  during  the  reign  of 
this  extraordinary  queen,  to  think  women  as  capable  of  reasoning 
upon  public  affairs  as  men.  Our  mothers  brought  something  of 
this  spirit  with  them.  They  knew  from  history,  how  much  their 
sex  had  done  in  the  advancement  of  civilization  and  Christianity ; 
and  here  was  the  finest  field  to  prove  that  they  still  had  the  power 
and  inclination.  Naturally  generous  and  enthusiastick,  women  have 
in  every  age  been  attached  to  the  hero  and  the  saint ;  and  have  fol- 
lowed the  former  to  the  battle-field,  to  bind  up  his  wounds,  and  to 
sing  his  praises  after  victory ;  and  the  latter  to  the  cross  and  the 
tomb.  The  wives  of  the  pilgrims  who  landed  at  Plymouth  disco- 
vered more  than  Spartan  fortitude  in  braving  dangers  and  in  sup- 
porting calamities.  They  were  well  educated  women. 

Among  those  who  came  after  the  pilgrims  to  settle  the  province 
of  Massachusetts  Bay,  were  several  women  of  high  rank  and  su- 
perior refinement ;  Lady  Arabella  Johnson,  daughter  of  the  Earl  of 
Lincoln,  and  the  wives  of  the  gentlemen  who  formed  the  board  of 
magistrates,  were  high  bred  dames;  as  well  as  the  wives  of  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  57 

clergy,  and  many  of  the  wives  of  their  associates.  Some  of  their 
chirography  has  reached  us.  It  resembles  the  easy,  flowing,  fa- 
shionable hand  of  the  present  day,  while  the  writing  of  the  men  of 
that  day,  is  difficult  to  be  read.  We  have  all  seen  the  needle-work 
of  that  age  in  embroidered  armorials,  and  genealogical  trees ;  and 
these  ancient  records  bear  ample  testimony  to  the  industry,  talent 
and  skill  of  the  fair  who  wrought  them.  They  shared  the  hardship 
of  the  times.  Many  a  lovely  daughter,  in  that  day,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  affluence,  and  with  tenderness,  on  her  marriage, 
moved  from  her  home  and  parents,  to  some  new  settlement  where 
her  bridal  serenade  was  the  howlings  of  the  beasts  of  prey,  as  they 
nightly  roamed  the  desert. 

If  our  mothers  had  a  share,  and  a  great  share  they  had,  in  the 
trials  of  those  days,  why  should  they  not  be  remembered  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  new-born  empire?  I  contend,  and  who  will  deny  it, 
that  it  required  more  courage  and  fortitude  to  stay  on  the  skirts  of 
the  forest,  unprotected  by  moat,  ditch,  or  stockade,  in  the  half 
built  cabin,  with  decrepitude  and  infancy,  listening  to  every  step, 
anxious  for  the  coming  in  of  those  who  had  gone  forth  in  search  of 
the  foe,  than  it  did  to  fight  the  foe  when  he  was  met.  This  was 
more  than  Spartan  fortitude ;  for  the  enemy  seldom  saw  the  dwelling 
where  the  heroick  mother  of  Sparta  waited  to  hear  the  fate  of  her 
husband  or  children ;  but  ours  were  hi  constant  danger  of  an  attack 
from  the  savages. 

Such  were  our  progenitors :  such  the  race  who  came  to  a  wilder- 
ness, and  broke  it  into  fertility  and  made  it  a  garden.  Men  who, 
living,  exercised  the  rights  of  freemen,  and  who  died  with  the  spirit 
of  the  brave,  in  the  hopes  of  the  just :  and  if  no  monument  mark  the 
sacred  ground  in  which  their  ashes  repose,  yet,  their  labours,  their 
struggles,  and  their  virtues,  are  matters  of  distinct  history.  The  mo- 
numents they  left  behind,  are  more  durable  than  brass,  and  will  re- 
tain their  polish  longer  than  marble.  They  consist  in  the  institu- 
tions they  founded  and  cherished,  in  their  day  and  generation,  and 
bequeathed  as  a  rich  legacy  to  their  posterity.  There  is  not  a  prin- 
ciple of  religion,  of  liberty,  or  law,  among  us,  at  this  day,  whose 
germ  cannot  be  traced  to  them.  The  foundation  stones  of  our 
schools  of  learning,  of  our  halls  of  justice,  and  of  the  temples  of  our 
God,  were  laid  by  them  in  every  hallowed  right  of  consecration. 
This  goodly  heritage,  has  been  cherished  and  defended  in  good 
faith,  and  has  come  down,  extending  wider  and  growing  more  va- 
luable with  every  passing  day :  and  when  distant  ages  to  us  shall 
come  blessed  with  wealth,  with  dominion,  and  power,  and  shall  be 
covered  with  new  intellectual  glory,  surrounded  by  arts  yet  un- 
known, and  sciences  yet  untaught,  these  early  fathers  of  the  land 
8 


58  LECTURES  ON 

shall  receive  an  increased  measure  of  fame.  Then  may  it  be  said, 
of  this  generation,  that  they  were  daughters  worthy  of  their  mothers, 
and  sons  who  did  not  disgrace  their  fathers;  a  people  who  had 
transmitted  unimpaired  the  blessings  they  had  received. 


LECTURE  IV. 


Antiquities,  or  remnants  of  history,  are  tanquam  tabula  naufragii,  when  in- 
dustrious persons,  by  an  exact  and  scrupulous  diligence  and  observation,  out 
of  monuments,  names,  words,  proverbs,  traditions,  private  records,  and  evi- 
dences, fragments  of  stories,  passages  of  books  that  concern  not  story,  and  the 
like,  do  save  and  recover  somewhat  from  the  deluge  of  time. 

Vcrulwrn. 

IN  this  second  half  century,  from  the  settlement  of  the  country, ' 
flourished  the  Mathers.  The  father,  Increase  Mather,  lias  been 
already  mentioned  as  president  of  Harvard  College ;  but,  in  a  lite- 
rary view,  the  father  and  son  may  be  said  to  have  been  contempo- 
raries. They  died  about  the  same  time,  within  five  years  of  each 
other,  the  elder  85,  the  younger  65.  They  were  the  most  volumi- 
nous writers  of  the  age  in  which  they  lived,  and  have  never  been 
exceeded  by  many  in  the  variety  of  their  subjects,  nor  in  the  amount 
of  their  matter.  The  concerns  of  religion  and  literature,  the  duties 
of  political  and  domestick  life,  the  subjects  of  the  passing  day,  and 
the  most  abstruse  questions  of  science,  all  fell  within  their  grasp, 
and  were  honoured  with  their  attention.  It  is  no  wonder,  then,  t  hat 
the  estimates  of  their  merits  were  various ;  some  influenced  by  one 
motive  and  some  by  another.  They  felt  every  thing,  and  received 
every  measure  of  attention,  from  adoration  to  hatred,  from  indivi- 
duals of  the  same  community,  at  the  same  time.  But  after  all,  it  is 
not  so  very  difficult  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  them  at  this  day,  al- 
though it  must  be  confessed,  that  some,  who  agree  in  other  things, 
disagree  in  regard  to  the  merits  of  the  Mathers.  They  were  more 
exclusively  our  own  scholars,  than  most  of  those  we  have  men- 
tioned ;  both  were  born  on  the  soil,  and  were  educated  at  the  same 
university.  The  father  was  born  at  Dorchester,  1639,  and  the  son 
in  Boston,  in  1663.  Their  minds  were  in  a  great  degree  alike ;  but 
the  father  had  seen  more  of  the  world  than  the  son,  having  been 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  59 

several  times  in  England,  and  mixed  much  in  society,  from  the  very 
nature  of  his  profession  and  offices ;  and  certainly  had  a  better  taste, 
either  natural  or  cultivated.  Both  were  indefatigable  students,  and 
were  devoted  to  the  same  pursuits  in  letters  and  religion.  The 
father  wrote  more  than  an  hundred  works,  which  issued  from  the 
press  in  this  country  or  in  England ;  nothing  escaped  them,  from 
comctosrraphia  to  witchcraft;  from  wizards  to  angels.  They  shot 
off  an  arrow  at  profane  dancing,  and  threw  off  a  pamphlet  in  fa- 
vour of  innocvlation  for  the  small-pox.  The  father  had  a  rich 
imagination,  great  stores  of  learning,  with  great  industry  and  apti- 
tude for  study ;  which  often  arises  from  equanimity  of  temper, 
which  he  had  in  a  greater  degree  than  his  son ;  and  he  possessed, 
what  indeed  is  a  great  acquirement,  a  happy  facility  of  moulding  the 
minds  of  his  pupils  to  virtue,  and  at  the  same  time  of  stimulating 
their  appetites  for  knowledge.  He  was  happy  in  his  own  exertions; 
happy  in  his  own  success ;  and  still  happier  in  a  long  life,  to  mature 
his  plans,  and  to  give  efficiency  to  his  efforts.  This  was  not  all ;  he 
was  thrice  blessed  in  his  son  Cotton,  who  arose  from  the  swaddling 
clothes  of  the  cradle  a  prodigy.  In  his  father's  mind,  the  Arabian 
tale  of  the  birth  of  Solomon  was  no  longer  a  fable,  of  whom  it  was 
said,  that  the  first  word  he  spoke,  was  the  awful  name  of  the  Most 
High,  and  the  first  sentence  he  uttered,  was  a  confession  of  faith. 
Cotton  Mather,  when  an  infant,  checked  the  wandering  and  reproved 
the  vicious ;  and  received  the  blessing  of  the  seer  and  sage,  at  every 
corner  and  in  every  temple.  At  fifteen  years  of  age,  he  had  finished 
his  collegiate  course,  and  was  before  the  world  as  a  scholar.  His 
piety  was  superiour  to  his  talents  and  learning ;  for  he  read  fifteen 
chapters  a  day  in  the  bible,  and  reading,  with  him,  was  nearly  com- 
mitting to  memory ;  and  multiplied  his  fastings  and  vigils,  with  the 
zeal  and  perseverance  of  an  hermit,  who  is  destined  to  grace  the 
calendar  of  saints.  He  coursed  over  the  whole  circle  of  sciences 
with  great  speed,  and  formed  systems  of  his  own,  which,  probably, 
he  thought  at  the  time  would  endure  with  sun  and  moon,  and  be 
as  necessary  to  mankind  as  seed  time  and  harvest.  He  became  a 
colleague  with  his  father  in  the  ministry,  and  they  lived  and  laboured, 
each  in  the  sunshine  of  the  other.  He  preached  sermons,  of  great 
length,  every  Sunday,  and  spent  several  afternoons  in  the  week  in 
visiting  his  parishoners,  for  the  purpose  of  devising  something  for 
their  mental,  temporal,  and  spiritual  comfort.  He  wrote  treatises 
with  almost  incredible  celerity,  and  scattered  them  profusely,  in  the 
hope  of  doing  good.  One  of  his  biographers  says,  that  the  number 
of  his  works  was  three  hundred  and  eighty-three.  It  were  vain  to 
attempt  to  characterize  all  of  them  by  any  general  class.  The  sub- 
jects, as  well  as  the  execution,  were  of  different  character.  Franklin 

*-  if.- 

u+ 


60  LECTURES  ON 

ascribes  to  one  of  Mather's  essays,  all  his  usefulness  in  life.  This 
alone,  one  would  think,  were  praise  enough  for  one  man ;  but,  in 
addition  to  this,  many  have  added,  if  possible,  higher  praise  ;  namely, 
that  the  preacher,  by  his  writings,  had  led  them  into  the  way  of  life 
everlasting/  If  any  thing  could  exceed  his  industry,  it  was  his  wish 
to  be  useful ;  and,  if  any  thing  could  be  imagined  to  transcend  that 
desire,  it  was  his  credulity.  His  mind  was  rich  and  fruitful,  well 
cultivated,  but  without  regularity  or  order.  He  mistook  method,  or 
arrangement  and  order,  in  the  distribution  of  his  time,  for  method 
and  order  in  the  classification  of  his  thoughts.  This  mistake  is  not 
an  uncommon  one.  His  intellectual  store-house  was  full  to  over- 
flowing ;  but  nothing  there  was  threshed,  winnowed,  binned,  or  la- 
belled. Whenever  he  attempted  to  spread  before  the  public  his  own 
thoughts,  there  came  rushing  to  his  memory  ten  thousand  thoughts 
of  other  men ;  probably  not  so  good  as  his  own,  but  which,  from  the 
pride  of  learning,  must  be  used.  These  thoughts  often  dazzled  his 
own  vision,  and  obscured  or  misled  his  understanding.  Thus  the 
children  of  his  own  brain  were  bedizzened  with  the  naming  colours 
of  all  costumes,  and  were  half-smothered  in  the  tatters  of  outlandish 
wardrobes.  His  logick  was  often  overlaid  by  illustration,  and  the 
force  of  his  eloquence  lost  by  vanity,  quaintness,  and  punning. 
Acquainted  with  the  pure  fountains  of  classical  literature,  and  often 
refreshed  with  copious  draughts  from  them,  he  feared  his  piety 
might  be  questioned  by  having  this  generally  known ;  and  there- 
fore he  drew  his  quotations,  and,  in  fact,  formed  his  taste,  from  the 
literature  of  scholastick  divinity ;  forgetting,  that  some  waters  may 
be  fit  to  bathe  in,  which  might  be  deleterious  to  drink.  Credulity, 
which  is  often  the  concomitant  of  quick  genius,  and  which  is,  gene- 
rally, in  itself  harmless,  was  to  him  a  sore  evil,  and  left  a  stain  on  his 
escutcheon,  which  will  go  down  to  posterity  with  his  name  forever. 
When  he  was  in  the  plenitude  of  his  influence,  in  church  and  state, 
the  delusion  of  witchcraft  was  at  its  height.  He  had  the  keeping  of 
the  conscience  of  the  new  governor,  Sir  William  Phipps,  who  was 
an  uneducated  man,  and  never  rose,  though  a  man  of  strong  mind 
naturally,  above  the  errours  of  vulgar  life.  With  the  ignorant,  he 
believed  in  demonology,  and  his  confessor  established  his  belief; 
"for  wJio  should  know  all  about  these  thing's  better  tlian  Doctor 
Mather.'1'1  This  was  the  natural  course  of  the  governor's  reflec- 
tions. The  statesman  and  divine  acted  in  concert,  and  the  country 
was  ransacked  for  instances,  to  show  the  great  power  of  the  devil ; 
and  all  these  instances  Mather  noted  and  canned  by  heart.  The 
victims  died  with  imprecations  upon  their  heads.  The  sober  and 
thinking  part  of  the  community  reasoned  on  the  subject,  and  sifted 
the  arguments  and  statements  of  the  clergyman  and  the  judges,  and, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  61 

at  length,  common  sense  prevailed,  and  the  actors  in  the  tragedy 
were  driven  from  the  scene  with  scorn  and  detestation.  The  delu- 
sion passed  off,  but  the  stigma  never  will;  no  man  has  ever  visited 
the  tomb  of  the  Mathers,  without  thinking  of  these  things,  and,  per- 
haps, thousands  who  have  visited  it,  knew  nothing  else  of  them  than 
the  part  they  took  in  this  sad  affair.  But  why  Mather,  Phippg,  and 
the  New-England  judges  here,  should  be  more  condemned,  than  the 
judges  in  old  England,  who,  not  far  from  the  same  time,  both  before 
and  after,  condemned  unhappy  creatures  for  the  same  crime,  in  the 
same  way,  is  not  easily  explained.  The  part  Cotton  Mather  took  in 
this  persecution  has  had  a  great  influence  on  the  minds  of  succeed- 
ing generations ;  even  in  their  estimate  of  his  literary  and  religious 
reputation.  All  men  can  judge  of  a  deficiency  of  common  sense, 
while  few  are  capable  of  appreciating  the  depths  of  learning. 

That  the  riper  years  of  Cotton  Mather  should  not  have  fulfilled 
the  promise  of  his  earlier,  is  not  wonderful,  when  we  reflect,  that 
from  his  leaving  college  he  had  no  rival ;  for,  like  the  Turk,  he  could 
bear  no  brother  near  the  throne.  For  a  mighty  mind  to  be  able  to 
produce  its  best  efforts,  it  must  come  in  collision  with  those  of  full 
growth  and  maturity ;  and  gain  the  mastery  by  mental  struggles, 
with  others  of  similar  character.  But,  so  situated  was  Cotton  Ma- 
ther, that,  although  others  could,  and  did  often  mortify  him  by 
neglect,  yet  he  was  still  acknowledged  by  the  people  to  be  first  and 
foremost  in  every  thing  wonderful  hi  science,  or  rare  in  letters. 
Calef  chastised  him  with  much  severity,  in  an  admirable  piece  of 
argument  and  satire,  and  fearlessly  held  him  up  to  the  world  as 
bigoted  and  vain.  A  few  joined  with  Calef,  but  the  great  mass  of  the 
good  people  found  ready  excuses  for  the  great  divine.  In  a  few 
years  after  his  death,  and  even  hi  his  life  time,  the  sour,  caustick,  un- 
principled, but  talented  Douglass,  sneered  at  his  learning  and  laughed 
at  his  vanity.  The  dull  and  vapid  Oldmixon  thought  he  could  mend 
his  works ;  and,  hi  his  own  collections,  has  attempted  to  remodel 
Mather,  in  style  and  manner ;  and  in  attempting  to  remove  his  ex- 
cresences,  such  as  quaint  sayings,  and  inapt  quotations,  and  useless 
pun,  he  left  him  a  sinewless  and  marrowless  skeleton  of  deformity. 
In  modern  times,  Cotton  Mather  has  been  treated  by  some  with 
severity,  and  by  others  with  more  justice,  and,  perhaps,  by  some, 
with  a  measure  of  kindness.  Honest  Elliot  speaks  fully  of  his 
faults,  but  is  not  unmindful  of  his  virtues  and  his  acquirements. 
With  faithful  and  intelligent  Allen,  there  was  no  disposition  to  exag- 
gerate his  faults  ;  and  it  will  not  be  said,  that  he  was  unmindful  of 
his  merits.  The  learned  Savage,  passes  him  without  much  respect, 
for  honesty  as  a  literary  man,  or  for  his  value  as  a  historian.  In  the 
hands  of  the  late  editor  of  Morton's  Memorial,  he  fares  better  than 
F 


32  LECTURES  ON 

he  has  before,  for  a  long  time.  His  estimate  of  this  singular  writer 
is  candid,  and,  in  our  judgement,  more  accurate  than  many  others. 
His  virtues  and  his  failings  sleep  together,  and  we  would  not  have 
any  of  his  errours  or  bad  taste  propagated  at  the  present  day ;  and 
we  believe  there  is  no  great  danger  of  it,  for  his  faults  are  not  fashion- 
able with  us.  To  imitate  his  very  errors,  would  be  very  difficult, 
and  would  require  more  learning  than  men  commonly  have ;  for 
those  faults  cost  much  labour  and  great  memory.  It  is  the  fashion 
to  neglect  such  writers  as  Mather ;  the  dress  is  antiquated,  but  we 
hope  never  to  be  entirely  debarred,  by  the  tyranny  of  fashion,  from 
once  in  a  while  looking  over  Bunyan,  and  keeping  company,  for  an 
hour  or  so,  with  Christian  and  his  wife,  in  their  homely  progress  on 
the  way  to  heaven ;  nor  be  obliged  to  throw  away  the  quaint  em- 
blems of  the  pious  Quarles,  or  any  of  his  thoughtful  brethren, 
because  they  may  seem,  to  some,  uncouth  in  their  guise. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  second  half  century,  from  the  first 
settlement  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  Penn  began  his  colony,  and  laid 
out  his  city  of  Philadelphia,  which  grew  more  rapidly  than  any 
previous  settlement  on  the  continent  The  founder  was  a  rare  man ; 
possessing  talents,  virtue,  fortitude,  perseverance,  caution,  benevo- 
lence, and  toleration,  with  great  political  sagacity.  He  made  a  treaty 
with  the  natives,  founded  upon  reciprocal  advantages,  which  was 
faithfully  kept  for  seventy  years.  He  was  a  lawgiver,  who  built  all 
his  maxims  on  the  principles  of  justice  and  a  knowledge  of  human 
nature.  His  aim  was  for  the  best  interests  of  man,  as  a  reasonable 
being.  He  had  suffered,  and  knew  how  to  forgive.  He  had  been 
persecuted,  and  had  seen  that  persecution  begot  opposition,  and 
opposition,  strifes  and  bloodshed.  He  saw  that  knowledge  and  vir- 
tue were  the  pillars  on  which  every  political  fabrick  must  be  built,  to 
endure  any  length  of  time.  With  broad  and  just  views,  this  great 
lawgiver  began  his  commonwealth ;  and  its  rapid  growth  justified 
his  claim  to  superiour  sagacity  and  wisdom.  In  the  course  of  fifty 
years,  Philadelphia  took  the  start  of  older  settlements;  and  has 
never,  in  the  slightest  degree,  lost  her  high  claims  to  distinction. 
In  1749,  Douglass  says,  that  Philadelphia  had  two  thousand  and 
seventy  dwelling  houses,  and  eleven  places  of  publick  worship ;  and 
that  some  deserving  gentlemen  had  established  "  a  laudable  academy 
in  Philadelphia,  with  a  publick  spirited  design  of  encouraging  lite- 
rature; that  is,  political  and  natural  knowledge;"  and  mentions, 
also,  that  it  was  in  a  flourishing  condition.  This  is  the  seminary, 
which  was  commenced  by  Franklin  and  his  associates  in  1742 ;  ex- 
tended in  1749;  and  in  1753  was  established  as  a  college,  and  put 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  Dr.  William  Smith,  who  had  a  great  repu- 
tation for  polite  literature ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  Rev.  Francis 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  63 

Allison  was  called  in,  as  vice  provost,  and  his  labours  contributed 
much  to  the  prospects  of  the  institution,  and  the  general  diffusion  of 
literature  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  neighbouring  states.  The  city 
of  Philadelphia  has  been  more  rapid,  and,  at  the  same  time,  more 
solid,  in  its  growth,  than  any  other  in  the  annals  of  modern  times. 
At  the  period  when  the  first  temple  of  learning  was  erected  in  the 
Athens  of  America,  the  ivy  had  mantled  the  age-stricken  edifices  of 
Cambridge. 

While  Harvard  College  was  continuing  to  flourish,  under  the  fos- 
tering care  of  all  classes  in  society ;  Connecticut,  having  increased 
in  population,  sufficiently  to  begin  to  think  of  no  longer  being  in- 
debted to  her  neighbours  for  seminaries  of  learning,  commenced  a 
collegiate  institution  in  1701.  The  first  charter  was  a  narrow  one. 
It  confined  the  trustees  to  the  holding  of  lands,  not  exceeding  five 
hundred  pounds  in  value.  One  hundred  pounds  currency  was 
granted,  yearly,  to  support  the  seminary,  and  Saybrook  was  re- 
solved upon,  as  the  proper  place  to  begin  the  undertaking.  Mr. 
Pierson,  minister  of  Killingworth,  was  made  rector.  The  assem- 
bling of  students,  generally,  was  at  his  house,  while  some  remained 
under  tutors  at  Saybrook.  This  division,  at  the  threshold,  was  in- 
auspicious, but,  after  several  serious  disasters,  the  trustees  fixed  on 
New-Haven,  for  its  location ;  and  in  September,  1717,  the  first  com- 
mencement was  held  there ;  but  it  did  not  receive  its  name  until 
September  12,  1718,  when  a  splendid  commencement  was  got  up  for 
the  occasion  of  giving  it  a  name,  and  spreading  its  fame  through  the 
state.  As  at  the  establishment  of  Harvard  College,  requisitions 
were  made,  not  only  upon  the  government  of  the  state,  but  on  the 
friends  of  learning  in  England  and  in  America.  Elihu  Yale,  Esq., 
an  East  India  merchant,  bestowed  stocks  and  books,  to  a  considera- 
ble amount,  and  gave  something  of  importance,  by  will ;  but  this 
bequest  was,  in  some  way,  frustrated.  Distinguished  individuals 
in  Connecticut  gave  freely,  as  did  many  others  in  Massachusetts 
and  Rhode  Island.  Dummer,  of  the  former  province,  and  Brenton, 
of  the  latter,  gave  liberally  in  money  and  books.  The  patrons  of 
the  college  abroad,  were  Sir  Richard  Blackmore,  Sir  Richard  Steel, 
Drs.  Bennett,  Calamy,  Woodman,  Halley,  Bentley,  Kennett,  Ed- 
wards, and  Mr.  Henery,  and  Mr.  Whiston.  Mr.  Cutler  was  the  se- 
cond rector,  but  soon  resigned  on  becoming  an  episcopalian.  In 
1723,  the  charter  was  enlarged.  In  1725,  Elisha  Williams  was 
chosen  rector.  In  1732,  the  general  assembly  of  Connecticut 
granted  the  college  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land.  They  intended 
to  follow  in  the  precise  steps  of  Harvard,  in  the  great  work  of  edu- 
cation ;  for  it  was  expressly  "  ordered,  at  the  first  founding  of  the 
college,  that  when  no  special  provision  was  made  by  the  trustees, 


64  LECTURES  ON 

the  laws  of  Harvard  college,  in  the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
should  be  the  rule." 

In  1728,  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  Berkley,  dean  of  Deny,  afterwards 
bishop  of  Cloyne,  fired  by  the  most  enthusiastic  visions  of  the 
coming  glories  of  the  new  world,  left  England  for  these  western 
shores,  with  a  charter  for  a  college,  to  be  established  either  at  Ber- 
muda, or  on  the  American  continent.  He  soon  saw  that  Bermuda 
would  not  answer  his  purpose,  and  came  to  Rhode  Island,  and  there 
purchased  a  fine  country  seat,  where  he  might  reside,  while  he 
could  take  a  view  of  the  country  at  large.  Liberal  funds  had  been 
granted  to  the  bishop  and  his  associates  for  the  noble  undertaking, 
(it  is  said,  to  the  amount  of  ninety  thousand  pounds  sterling,)  and 
which  had  been  paid  into  the  treasury.  While  the  benevolent  dean 
was  casting  about  him,  for  the  best  place  to  fix  himself  and  build  his 
college,  the  British  minister  seized  all  the  funds,  for  a  marriage  por- 
tion for  the  princess  royal,  and  at  one  dash  of  his  pen,  destroyed  the 
whole  plan.  The  dean,  finding  all  his  hopes  at  an  end,  in  1732  made 
a  deed  of  gift  of  his  farm  in  Rhode  Island,  to  the  trustees  of  Yale 
College ;  and  directed  that  the  income  from  it,  should  be  appropria- 
ted to  the  support  of  three  scholarships,  to  be  bestowed  upon  the 
best  classical  scholars,  in  each  year.  This  gift  is  called  the  Dean's 
Bounty,  and  has  had  a  fine  effect  on  the  students  of  that  college,  by 
exciting  a  spirit  of  emulation  among  them.  In  1740,  Thomas  Clapp 
succeeded  Elisha  Williams,  who  had  resigned.  In  1744,  the  char- 
ter was  again  enlarged,  and  the  rector,  by  this  charter,  was  in  future 
to  be  called  president ;  and  the  president  and  trustees  of  Yale,  has 
been  the  style  of  the  corporation,  ever  since.  The  reputation  of  the 
bishop  of  Cloyne,  has  been  a  subject  of  panegyric,  ever  since  his 
friend  Pope  ascribed, 

"  To  Berkley  every  virtue  under  heaven ;" 

and  his  name  is  commemorated  at  Yale,  by  the  poets  and  orators  of 
every  passing  year.  Thus  was  the  second  literary  institution  of 
our  country  established  by  the  exertions  of  the  learned  and  the 
wise ;  and  has  ever  been  a  national  blessing.  Bishop  Berkley  was 
a  scholar  and  a  poet.  A  quotation,  of  a  single  line,  from  a  short 
poem  of  his,  is  often  made  by  the  friends  of  this  country : 

11  Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its  way." 

As  the  little  poem  is  extremely  scarce,  having  seldom  been  pub- 
lished in  this  country,  I  have  transcribed  the  whole  of  it  from  the 
"Anniversary  discourse,  delivered  before  the  New- York  Historical 
Society,"  by  one  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  of  our  country, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE. 

Gulian  C.  Verplank,  Esq.,  now  member  of  congress  from  the  city  of 
New- York.  This  single  discourse  is  a  mine  of  information  to  the 
lovers  of  American  literature ;  and  to  this  work  I  am  much  in- 
debted for  many  valuable  facts.  &  '*-X':'i?  j 

.  ^ «.    M,   /SvH^AC*-^ 

The  muse,  disgusted  at  an  age  and  clime 

Barren  of  every  glorious  theme,  L  \^ 

In  distant  lands  now  waits  a  better  time, 
Producing  subjects  worthy  fame. 

In  happy  climes,  where  from  the  genial  sun, 

And  virgin  earth,  such  scenes  ensue, 
The  force  of  art  by  nature  seems  outdone, 

And  fancied  beauties,  by  the  true. 

In  happy  climes,  the  seat  of  innocence, 

Where  nature  guides,  and  virtue  rules ; 
Where  men  shall  not  impose,  for  truth  and  sense, 

The  pedantry  of  courts  and  schools. 

There,  shall  be  sung  another  golden  age, 

The  rise  of  empires  and  of  arts ; 
The  good  and  great,  inspiring  epick  rage ; 

The  wisest  heads  and  noblest  hearts. 

Not  such  as  Europe  breeds,  in  her  decay 
Such  as  she  bred,  when  fresh  and  young ; 

When  heavenly  flame  did  animate  her  clay, 
By  future  poets  shall  be  sung. 

Westward  the  course  of  empire  takes  its  way ; 

The  four  first  acts  already  past, 
A  fifth  shall  close  the  drama  with  the  day ; 

Time's  noblest  offspring  is  the  last. 

While  this  institution  was  rising  up  by  the  zeal  of  the  benevolent 
and  the  good ;  Connecticut  was  blessed  by  the  government  of  Gur- 
don  Saltonstall,  as  chief  magistrate.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Sir 
Richard  Saltonstall,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 
The  governor  had  been  a  preacher,  but  his  fame  for  wisdom,  in 
matters  of  civil  and  political  life,  was  so  extraordinary,  that  he  was 
taken,  as  it  were,  by  force,  and  made  chief  magistrate ;  and  his  case 
is  an  exception  from  the  general  charge  of  volatility  in  the  people : 
for  he  was  chosen  from  1707  to  1724,  without  any  diminution  of 
publick  respect,  or  without  a  rival.  He  was  indeed  a  rare  man ; 
with  a  noble  and  commanding  person— a  generous  and  sympathizing 
D2  9 


66  LECTURES  ON 

heart,  a  fascinating  eloquence,  with  profound  erudition  and  cour- 
teous manners ;  he  was  irresistible  among  the  people,  and  first  also 
in  the  synod,  the  council-chamber,  and  the  judgement-hall.  His 
wife  was  equally  renowned,  and  lived  longer  to  do  good.  She  was 
a  patroness  of  Yale  and  Harvard  Colleges,  to  several  churches,  and 
other  institutions  of  piety  and  learning.  The  house  of  Madam  Sal- 
tonstall  was  resorted  to  by  the  intelligent  and  the  good,  as  the 
abode  of  a  prophetess,  or  a  mother  in  Israel.  It  was  a  high  honour 
to  be  accounted  one  of  her  friends;  for  her  discernment  was  such, 
that  the  hypocrite  hi  religion,  or  the  pretender  in  knowledge,  was 
soon  discovered  and  discarded. 

In  every  age  of  darkness  and  superstition,  we  find  some  minds 
superiour  to  prejudice,  and  which  fearlessly  rise  above  the  mists 
around  them.  Such  an  one  was  Robert  Calef,  a  merchant  of  Bos- 
ton, who  was  in  business  at  the  time  of  the  delusion  of  witchcraft. 
He  saw  how  the  people  were  misled,  by  some  of  the  higher  classes 
in  society.  The  governor,  Sir  William  Phipps,  was  the  most 
zealous  prosecutor,  aided  and  directed  by  his  father  confessor, 
Cotton  Mather,  and  assisted  by  most  of  the  commission,  who  tried 
those  unfortunate  persons,  who  suffered  for  this  supposed  crime. 
Calef  wrote  many  private  letters,  and  published  some  communica- 
tions in  a  pamphlet  form ;  but  as  the  printers  were  alarmed  at  publish- 
big  frequently,  he  was  induced  to  issue  a  volume  on  the  subject.  He 
opposed  reason  and  common  sense,  to  fanaticism  and  overstrained 
constructions  of  scripture ;  and  had  many  readers  and  more  converts, 
than  at  that  time  dared  avow  their  sentiments.  The  attack  upon 
the  Mathers,  was  considered  by  the  parishioners  of  these  influential 
divines,  as  the  most  imprudent  and  wicked  of  all  slanders ;  and 
they  published  a  defence  of  their  pastor,  and  treated  Calef  as  a  vile 
free-thinker.  The  Rev.  Increase  Mather,  President  of  Harvard 
College,  to  show  the  students  in  what  horrour  such  a  man  as  Calef 
should  be  held,  had  some  of  CalePs  works  burnt  in  the  college 
yard;  as  impious  and  infidel  productions  were  by  the  common 
hangman  in  England.  But  after  all,  common  sense  prevailed,  and 
in  fact,  was  never  entirely  lost  sight  of  in  the  community ;  for  in 
looking  over  the  records  of  the  trials  for  witchcraft  in  1692, 1  find 
that  the  court  found  it  difficult  to  bring  the  jury  to  convict  the  per- 
sons charged ;  and  that  one  foreman  of  the  jury  was  dismissed  by 
the  court,  for  refusing  to  find  a  verdict  on  "  the  spectral  evidence," 
as  he  could  not  justify  it  to  his  own  understanding,  nor  find  it 
sanctioned  by  any  fact  or  rule  in  the  scriptures.  Calef  lived  to  see 
his  views  of  this  delusion  become  the  general  opinion,  and  that  of 
most  of  the  commission;  for  they  were  tried  by  judges,  under  a 
special  commission,  as  is  generally  the  case  in  England,  when  state 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  67 

policy  requires  such  a  course  should  be  pursued.  Calef  died  in 
Portsmouth,  New-Hampshire,  to  which  place  he  had  removed  to 
spend  his  old  age  with  some  of  his  children,  loved  and  respected  by 
all  liberal  minded  men. 

Among  the  most  accomplished  scholars  and  writers  of  the  age,  in 
which  he  lived,  was  William  Burnet ;  who  was  for  some  time  go- 
vernor of  New- York  and  New-Jersey.  His  first  speech  to  the  le- 
gislature, after  he  came  to  that  government,  was  celebrated  for  its 
ease,  dignity,  and  elegance,  and  has  seldom  been  equalled  in  this 
species  of  composition,  now  so  common  throughout  the  land.  On 
the  accession  of  George  2d,  he  was  removed  from  his  government 
to  that  of  Massachusetts.  In  this  office  he  had  some  difficulties ; 
but  with  him,  as  a  politician,  we  have  nothing  to  do  at  this  time,  but 
only  as  a  scholar.  His  eloquence  was  of  the  first  order ;  his  man- 
ners were  most  polished,  which  gave  a  grace  to  his  great  learning. 
He  had  laid  the  foundation  of  his  knowledge,  under  the  care  of  his 
father,  a  learned  prelate,  and  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton.  In  such  a  school, 
he  was  taught  to  think  for  himself,  and  he  improved  upon  his 
lessons.  Governor  Burnet  wrote  several  works  of  celebrity,  one  of 
which  is,  "  an  essay  on  the  scripture  prophecies."  His  taste,  and 
talents,  had  a  very  salutary  effect  upon  the  literature  of  his  day. 
He  every  where  ridiculed  the  quaint  style  of  the  ecclesiastical 
writers  of  his  time ;  and  the  Mathers  were  the  persons,  generally, 
against  whose  writings  his  polished  shafts  were  levelled.  He  out- 
lived Cotton  Mather  about  a  year  and  a  half. 

Contemporary  with  Burnet,  was  Jeremy  Dummer,  who  was  an 
honour  to  the  literature  of  our  country.  While  he  was  in  college, 
the  President,  Dr.  Increase  Mather  declared  him  "by  far  the  best 
scholar  that  had  ever  been  there ;"  which  his  succeeding  reputation 
evinced  to  be  a  just  encomium.  From  Harvard,  he  went  to  study 
theology  at  Leyden ;  but,  although  he  was  considered  as  great  in 
this  science,  he  preferred  politics  and  jurisprudence  to  the  creeds  of 
Calvin,  or  the  annotations  of  Whitsius,  the  professor  of  theology  at 
Leyden.  As  agent  for  the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  his  ser- 
vices were  greater  than  his  rewards ;  for  while  he  was  writing  most 
ably  in  defence  of  the  charter,  he  was  dismissed  from  his  office ;  not 
for  any  alleged  misconduct,  or  neglect  of  his  duties ;  but  he  had 
been  employed  by  Bolingbroke,  and  that  was  sufficient  to  destroy 
his  popularity  in  Massachusetts.  He  had  the  misfortune,  which  is 
indeed  a  great  one,  to  be  in  advance  of  the  knowledge  of  the  times. 
In  the  ages  of  rusticity  and  ignorance,  the  elegance  of  Chester- 
field would  have  passed  for  egregious  foppery,  and  the  science  of  Sir 
Humphrey  Davy  for  necromancy.  Jeremy  Dummer  was  a  great 


68  LECTURES  ON 

friend  to  learning  in  this  country,  and  was  a  very  considerable 
patron  to  Yale  College. 

Lt  Governor  Dummer,  who  was  in  office  under  Burnet,  and  was 
for  a  while,  locum  tenens  of  the  chief  magistracy,  after  the  death  of 
the  governor,  as  he  was  before  his  arrival,  was  a  man  of  considerable 
acquirements,  and  a  very  good  officer.  A  friend  to  learning  and 
piety,  he  gave  a  considerable  sum  to  build  the  first  house  of  publick 
worship  in  Hollis-street,  in  Boston ;  and  also,  a  noble  farm  in  New- 
bury,  in  the  county  of  Essex,  to  establish  an  academy  in  that  town ; 
at  which  seminary,  some  of  the  first  scholars  of  the  present  age  re- 
ceived the  rudiments  of  their  education ;  and  it  is  now,  notwithstand- 
ing the  larger  seminaries  which  have  grown  up  in  New-England, 
in  very  good  credit.  The  building  in  which  the  school  is  kept,  is  on 
the  farm  which  supports  the  instructors ;  and  is  shaded  by  the  trees, 
which  more  than  a  century  ago,  the  munificent  benefactor  of  learn- 
ing planted  with  his  own  hand. 

The  charter  of  William  and  Mary,  1692,  although  opposed  by 
many  of  the  first  settlers,  was  undoubtedly  advantageous  in  many 
respects.  The  union  of  the  old  colony  with  that  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  was  one  of  the  beneficial  results.  A  more  parliamentary  shape 
was  given  to  legislative  proceedings ;  and  a  more  distinct  line  was 
drawn  between  legislative,  judicial,  and  executive  proceedings.  The 
patriarchal  form,  which  is  admissible  in  a  small  and  infant  com- 
munity, is  not  sufficiently  powerful  or  regular  when  that  commu- 
nity has  considerably  increased.  As  Cotton  Mather  would  have 
said  in  such  a  case,  the  commands  of  Jacob  were  not  sufficient  to  re- 
strain the  ungoverned  passions  of  his  sons,  Simeon  and  Levi,  when 
his  family  had  became  large,  and  the  Patriarch  had  grown  old.  The 
profession  of  the  law,  had  been  confined  to  a  few,  and  those  few 
were  restrained  by  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  magistrates;  but 
when  this  charter  went  into  operation,  the  courts  assumed  a  more 
legal  character.  It  was  under  this  charter,  that  the  witches  were 
tried ;  but  it  should  be  remembered,  at  the  same  time,  that  this  de- 
lusion was  arrested  in  its  course,  by  the  happy  thought,  of  bringing 
actions  of  defamation  against  those  who  made  the  foul  and  false  as- 
persions upon  their  neighbours j  charging  them  with  being  united 
to  the  devil,  and  working  deeds  of  darkness.  In  all  the  trials  for  the 
crime  of  witchcraft,  there  is  no  mention  made  of  counsel  to  the  pri- 
soners, or  of  their  having  counsel  to  advise  or  argue  for  them. 

Soon  after  this  charter  went  into  operation,  a  luminary  arose  in 
the  law,  whose  fame  will  be  as  enduring  with  us  as  the  names  of 
Lyttleton,  Coke,  or  Mansfield.  John  Read  was  graduated  at  Har- 
vard College  in  1697,  and  prepared  himself  for  the  pulpit,  and  did 
actually  preach  for  some  time ;  but  indulging  himself  in  a  little  wit 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  69 

and  satire  in  his  discourse,  he  was  suspected  of  liberal,  tolerant  feel- 
ings in  his  creed,  and  that  would  not  do.  From  the  pulpit,  he  went 
to  the  bar,  and  here  he  effected  a  complete  revolution,  or  rather 
began  a  new  era,  in  the  history  of  American  law.  The  long  deed, 
conveying  real  estate,  which  then  covered  a  sheet  of  parchment,  he 
reduced  to  its  present  simple  and  intelligible  form  ;  and  the  ease  and 
convenience  of  it  was  so  apparent,  that  it  was  soon  adopted.  Read 
was  often  in  the  legislature  from  Boston,  and  for  several  years  in 
the  council.  In  either  place,  his  opinions  were  law,  for  he  was  as 
fearless  as  intellectual ;  and  spoke  as  he  thought,  in  great  honesty 
of  soul.  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  died  about  twelve  years 
before  the  late  venerable  John  Adams  came  to  the  bar,  who  in- 
formed me,  that  he  never  saw  Read ;  but  that  his  seniors,  Gridley, 
Kent,  Putnam,  Pynchon,  and  others,  had  treasured  many  anecdotes 
of  his  wit,  and  many  axioms  of  his  law.  Shirley,  who  was  himself 
a  lawyer,  thought  him  the.  greatest  lawyer  that  ever  lived,  and  con- 
sulted him  as  an  oracle.  After  his  appearance  on  the  stage,  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law  shared  the  publick  honours  with  the  clergy ;  and 
by  degrees,  the  spirit  of  the  times  gently  crowded  the  clergy  out  of 
civil  appointments ;  and  brought  in  those  better  acquainted  with  the 
practical  things  of  life,  and  the  ordinary  business  of  men.  New- 
York,  had  not  an  opportunity  to  advance,  in  this  half  century,  as 
the  other  colonies.  After  the  final  settlement,  by  which  the  colony 
was  ceded  to  the  English,  the  people  were  frequently  annoyed  by 
bad  governors ;  this  continued  for  several  years  after  the  commence- 
ment of  the  18th  century.  Lord  Cornbury  greatly  retarded  the 
prospects  of  New- York,  by  his  ignorance,  avarice,  and  faithlessness 
to  his  duties ;  but  the  statute  book  of  the  state,  and  the  history  of 
the  quarrel  with  Burnet  on  his  chancery  decisions,  prove  that  there 
were  some  good  lawyers  among  them  ;  and  probably,  much  other 
learning.  The  clergymen  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  were,  in 
general,  well  educated  men  ;  but  preaching  in  their  own  language, 
their  usefulness  was  in  a  great  measure  lost  to  the  people  from 
New-England,  who  flocked  in  as  emigrants  to  share  so  goodly  a 
heritage. 

During  the  second  half  century,  the  literature  of  South  Carolina 
began  to  be  respectable.  The  professional  men,  before  this  time, 
had  been  educated  in  Europe  ;  and  now  found  the  want  of  a  library, 
to  keep  pace,  in  some  measure,  with  the  improvements  of  the  Eu- 
ropean continent.  In  the  year  1700,  a  provincial  library  was  esta- 
blished in  Charleston,  by  the  liberality  of  the  lords  proprietors  and 
of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Bray.  This  introduced  a  love  for  reading,  and 
made  an  impression  upon  the  minds  and  tastes  of  that  people,  which 
has  never  been  lost.  In  1712,  a  free  school  was  established,  which 


70  LECTURES  ON 

was  an  extensive  grammar-school,  and  where  a  good  foundation  for 
classical  education  was  laid.  Several  private  academies  were  set 
up,  within  a  few  years.  England  and  the  eastern  colonies  supplied 
them  with  teachers,  for  many  years.  A  printer  settled  at  Charles- 
ton, between  the  years  1720  and  1730.  The  first  newspaper  was 
printed  there  in  1730.  The  professions  were,  at  that  time,  filled  with 
men  of  learning,  many  of  them  from  Europe.  Mark  Catesby,  an 
English  naturalist,  came  to  South  Carolina  in  1722,  and  resided  four 
years  in  the  colony ;  and  was  assiduous  in  promoting  the  knowledge 
of  botany  and  zoology.  He  had  lived  in  Virginia  seven  years  pre- 
viously, engaged  in  the  same  pursuit;  Sir  Hans  Sloan  was  his 
patron.  James  Blair  began  to  lay  the  foundation  of  William  and 
Mary  College  in  1691 ;  but  he  was  many  years  in  getting  it  under 
way,  for  he  did  not  take  upon  himself  the  duties  of  president,  until 
1729,  and  then  continued  them  until  1742.  This  good  man  labour- 
ed hard  in  his  duties,  but  many  of  the  youth  of  Virginia  still  went 
to  England  for  an  education.  Dr.  Blair  was  an  able  man.  He 
published  a  work,  the  year  he  died,  in  London,  in  four  volumes  oc- 
tavo, "  Our  Saviour's  divine  sermon  on  the  mount  explained,  and  the 
practice  of  it  recommended."  It  was,  in  that  day,  esteemed  a  work 
of  great  merit. 

As  we  have  taken  a  survey  of  our  forefathers  from  their  first 
landing  on  these  shores,  particularly  as  men  of  letters  and  science, 
and  have  given  sketches  of  their  characters  as  individuals,  and  have 
made  some  general  remarks  on  the  communities  as  they  grew  up, 
it  will  not  be  going  out  of  the  path  I  have  prescribed  to  myself  in 
the  lectures,  to  take  a  summary  view  of  them  at  the  close  of  the  first 
century  of  their  existence.  I  have  mentioned  the  little  poem  of  the 
good  Bishop  of  Cloyne,  which  at  the  period  it  was  published  was 
considered  only  a  compliment  from  a  pure  and  highly  intellectual 
ecclesiastick,  to  a  race  of  people  he  was  fond  of  praising — it  is  now 
thought  to  have  been  prophetick— particularly  the  closing  canto : 

"Westward  the  star  of  empire  takes  its  way; 
The  four  first  acts  already  past, 

The  fifth  shall  close  the  drama  with  the  day- 
Time's  noblest  offspring  is  his  last." 

But  it  was  only  the  sagacity  of  a  great  man,  reasoning  from  cause 
to  effect ;  and  we  will,  for  a  moment,  see  how  far  he  was  justified  in 
making  these  predictions,  as  a  sagacious  observer  of  human  nature, 
deeply  read  in  the  history  of  man. 

The  century  from  the  settlement  of  the  northern  province  closed, 
exhibiting  a  people  extended  along  the  sea  coast,  for  more  than  a 
thousand  miles,  of  more  or  less  maturity,  some  being  of  a  more 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  71 

recent  date,  and  others  a  few  years  older  than  those  of  Massachu- 
setts. Although  not  precisely  alike  in  their  manners  and  customs, 
yet  these  provincials  were  so  nearly  alike  as  to  be  embraced  under 
general  remarks,  applicable  to  the  most  advanced  portions  of  the 
country.  They  were,  at  this  period,  comparatively  at  ease,  for  the 
dread  of  extermination  from  the  aborigines  had  entirely  passed 
away.  They  had  fought  the  savages,  and  had  driven  them  back  to 
remote  forests  and  distant  hunting  grounds;  and  though  often 
vexed  and  distressed  by  the  hostile  incursions  of  the  Indians,  still 
they  had  no  fears  of  being  destroyed  by  them.  The  Indians  had,  in 
the  infancy  of  the  colonies,  come  down  upon  them  in  their  full 
strengtli  and  best  possible  concert,  and  were  then  beaten  and 
broken,  and  if  not  destroyed,  were  so  far  dispirited  and  enfeebled, 
that  nothing  like  regular  warfare  was  afterwards  carried  on  against 
the  most  populous  parts  of  the  country.  The  people,  it  is  true,  were 
often  distressed  at  the  complaints  of  the  frontier  settler,  and  were 
frequently  called  out  to  avenge  his  wrongs,  which  was  generally 
done  in  such  a  manner  as  to  keep  the  tribe  of  Indians  who  perpe- 
trated them  quiet  for  some  time.  The  growth  of  this  country  was 
indeed  marked  by  wonders  to  the  people  themselves ;  for  the  most 
sanguine  of  the  emigrants  did  not  contemplate  so  rapid  a  progress 
in  their  growth  and  strength.  They  had,  in  this  century,  not  only 
fought  the  Indians  for  self-preservation,  but  after  little  more  than 
fifty  years  of  their  existence,  assisted  the  mother  country  in  an  at- 
tempt to  wrest  Canada  from  the  hands  of  the  French,  which  for- 
tunately did  not  succeed ;  for  an  intermixture  of  the  French  and 
English  at  that  time  would,  in  all  probability,  have  had  no  good 
effect  on  the  nationality  of  the  provincials ;  but  as  it  was,  the  pri- 
mitive character  of  the  people  had  not  essentially  changed  from  that 
of  their  fathers,  when  the  century  closed.  They  had  wisely  adopt- 
ed new  rules  and  regulations  in  the  administration  of  justice,  and 
greatly  expanded  their  views,  and  thoroughly  changed  their  opi- 
nions on  many  subjects,  but  still  the  same  spirit  remained,  and  the 
same  hardihood  of  character  was  apparent.  They  had,  before  this 
time,  separated  church  from  state,  and  had  found  many  blessings 
flowing  from  this  division.  Men  of  distinction  grew  up  in  both  de- 
partments of  these  intellectual  and  moral  pursuits,  who  laboured 
hard  for  the  general  good,  and  have  left  their  deeds  on  record. 

They  had  also  established  courts  under  their  various  charters, 
and  civil  justice  took  a  new  form.  The  primitive  courts,  though 
believed  by  the  people  themselves,  when  first  instituted,  to  be  the 
best  method  of  getting  at  justice  that  could  then  be  devised,  had, 
long  before  the  close  of  the  century,  become  rather  offensive  to  the 
good  sense  of  the  people  at  large.  They  found  that  there  was  some- 


712  LECTURES  ON 

thing  very  arbitrary  in  discretion,  that  which  the  magistrates  pos- 
sessed of  defining  the  crime  and  of  fixing  the  punishment  at  the 
same  time ;  and  often  making  that  criminal,  which  had  never  been 
considered  a  crime,  misdemeanour,  or  offence,  in  any  written  code 
of  laws  that  had  ever  been  given  to  the  world.  It  is  amusing  to 
look  back  to  their  records  now,  when  the  judges  and  those  they 
condemned  have  gone  to  a  perfect  tribunal,  and  to  mark  the  course 
of  proceedings  in  those  early  days,  when  the  magistracy,  on  the 
suspicion  of  an  offence  against  what  they  thought  the  decorum  of 
society,  would  often  decree  a  more  severe  punishment  than  against 
a  crime  of  a  felonious  nature.  The  people  were  too  shrewd  to  be 
so  governed  forever ;  and  they  found  the  courts  of  law,  established 
upon  proper  principles,  with  judges  sworn  to  administer  justice  ac- 
cording to  fixed  and  settled  laws,  either  the  wisdom  of  many  years 
experience,  or  the  written  law  of  the  statute  book,  were  far  better 
than  the  arbitrary  opinions  and  decisions  of  those  esteemed  even  as 
wise  and  good,  who  had  no  barrier  against  caprice,  and  who  were 
imperfect,  because  they  were  men. 

At  this  period,  the  day  of  delusion  had  passed  away,  and  the 
mists  of  superstition  were  fast  dispersing  before  the  rays  of  reason 
and  the  reign  of  common  sense.  This  very  delusion,  however,  was 
made  a  mean,  under  Providence,  of  hastening  on  the  age  of  philoso- 
phical inquiry  into  the  nature  of  man,  and  of  the  permissions  of 
Deity  in  his  government  of  the  world.  The  blood  of  the  victims  of 
delusion,  though  they  were  few  in  number,  was  not  without  its  use. 
It  did  not  cry  from  the  ground  for  vengeance,  for  it  was  shed  by  in- 
fatuated honesty ;  but  ages  of  eloquence  and  reasoning  could  not 
have  done  so  much  for  the  advancement  of  rational  thinking  as  the 
sacrifice  of  these  few  lives  did.  There  was  an  image  of  error  left  in 
the  minds  of  the  community  which  was  held  up  against  misguided 
zeal,  and  a  too  ready  desire  to  punish  offences,  which  has  had  a  most 
salutary  effect  ever  since.  The  shades  of  immolated  innocence 
haunted  the  severe  in  disposition,  who  are  always  inclined  to  super- 
stition, and  restrained  them  from  attempting  to  influence  publick 
feeling,  which  they  had  a  secret  wish,  no  doubt,  at  all  times  to  do. 
The  momentary  folly  of  the  few  was  the  permanent  security  of  the 
whole. 

At  this  period,  publick  schools  had  been  long  in  operation  in  New- 
England,  and  the  rich  were  made  to  educate  the  poor,  not  only  in 
the  common  elements  of  learning,  but  in  the  higher  walks  of  litera- 
ture, when  they  aspired  to  it  The  colleges  that  had  been  esta- 
blished were  fountains  of  useful  knowledge,  whose  streams  were 
flowing  in  all  directions.  The  young  men  educated  in  these  col- 
lege* were,  most  of  them,  engaged,  for  several  years  after  they  had 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  73 

graduated,  in  the  useful  employment  of  teaching  school  in  those 
places  required  by  law  to  maintain  a  grammar  school,  and  almost 
every  town  was  sufficiently  large  to  require  one.  Among  other 
duties,  the  clergy,  too,  assisted  in  preparing  youths  for  college.  The 
influence  of  their  labours  had  entered  into  every  thing  temporal,  as 
well  as  spiritual  5  and  being  now  confined,  by  the  separation  of  the 
government  of  the  church  from  that  of  the  state,  to  their  own  dis- 
tinct duties,  they  had  much  more  leisure  to  attend  to  improving 
their  own  minds,  and  those  of  their  parishioners,  than  ever ;  and  to 
them,  present  generations  are  indebted  for  no  inconsiderable  portion 
of  the  literature  of  that  day.  By  this  time,  the  law  had  become  a 
distinct  profession,  and  several  luminaries  had  arisen,  who  had 
changed  the  modes  of  transacting  the  business  of  the  courts,  and 
driven  the  race  of  pettifoggers,  which  generally  abound  in  a  new 
country,  (and  did  in  this  to  a  considerable  extent,)  at  the  first  estab- 
lishment of  courts,  into  disgrace  and  neglect.  Learned  physicians 
had  grown  up,  who  were  not  only  devoted  to  the  healing  art,  but 
were  making  researches  in  the  phenomena  of  nature,  with  great  as- 
siduity and  success. 

The  press  was  well  supported  by  the  people,  and  held  as  one  of 
the  great  safeguards  of  the  rights  and  interests  of  freemen.  The 
literati  were  fond  of  seeing  themselves  in  print,  and  pamphlets  and 
tracts  issued,  to  gratify  the  curiosity  and  taste  of  the  people.  At 
this  period,  newspapers  had  been  established,  and  were  most  valu- 
able vehicles  of  information.  They  were,  in  general,  edited  with  no 
ordinary  share  of  talent,  and  some  of  the  first  men  in  the  country 
were  engaged  directly  or  indirectly  in  their  support.  Political 
rights  were  freely  discussed  in  them,  and  their  influence  was  felt  in 
the  most  remote  settlement  of  the  country.  Not  only  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  British  Parliament  were  communicated  to  the  public 
through  their  columns,  with  the  news  of  the  day ;  but  they  were 
made  serviceable  in  giving  the  people  a  knowledge  and  taste  for  the 
current  English  literature.  Long  extracts  from  authors  of  standard 
value  were  weekly  diffused  by  these  papers.  England  was,  during 
this  century,  prolific  in  men  of  genius,  and  the  great  doctrines  of 
civil  liberty  were  taught  in  their  writings,  which  in  this  country  had 
a  free  circulation,  if  not  in  their  own.  Texts  are  often  graced,  and 
sometimes  amended,  by  their  commentaries;  it  was  so  in  this 
country,  in  regard  to  every  work  on  British  liberty ;  for  here  it  was 
read  without  prejudice,  and  scanned  without  fear.  The  mind  of 
man  was  awake  to  its  true  interests,  in  a  country  where  there  was 
neither  hierarchy,  nor  aristocracy,  nor  furious  democracy,  to  disturb 
the  smooth  and  equal  current  of  thinking  and  acting.  They  had 
often  quarrelled  with  governors,  and  complained  of  royal  neglect, 
G  10 


74  LECTURES  ON 

and  sometimes  were  gravely  debating  upon  heresies  and  schisms  j 
but  these  things  were  not  more  than  sufficient  to  give  force  and  ac- 
tivity to  their  intellectual  powers,  and  had  no  withering  effect.  The 
people,  although  prudent  and  saving,  were  not  goaded  by  avarice, 
or  sunk  in  voluptuousness,  or  dissipated  by  trifling  amusements ; 
and  these  political  and  religious  excitements  were  necessary  to  give 
proper  tone  to  the  mind. 

Commerce  had,  during  this  century,  extended  its  humanizing  in- 
fluence among  the  people,  and  trade  was  now  doing  what  war  pre- 
viously had  done — making  them  acquainted  with  each  other's  wants 
and  capacities.  Then-  commercial  enterprise,  considering  their 
means,  was  astonishing.* 

Their  fisheries  and  lumber  trade,  with  their  ship  building,  pro- 
duced them  a  very  considerable  surplus  over  their  importations 
from  the  mother  country  and  the  West  India  islands.  They  had 
found  that  the  bosom  of  the  earth  was  rich  in  iron  ore,  the  true  gold 
of  a  primitive  people ;  and  they  at  this  early  period  had  established 
foundries,  or  bloomeries,  as  the  works  for  manufacturing  iron  were 
then  called,  which  were  in  a  prosperous  condition  for  many  years 
afterwards.  The  clothing  of  the  great  mass  of  the  people  was  from 
their  own  flax  and  wool,  wrought  at  their  own  firesides ;  and  if  it 
did  not  allow  them  to  dress  sumptuously,  it  made  comfortable  arti- 
cles of  wearing  apparel.  The  forests  were  then  abundant,  and  their 
dwellings  were  warm  and  convenient.  The  purest  of  streams 
watered  their  grounds,  and  their  orchards  produced  in  abundance, 
so  that  there  was  but  little  use  of  ardent  spirits. 

Their  military  system  was  simple,  yet  perfect ;  every  man  was 
enrolled  who  could  carry  a  musket,  and  all  were  accustomed  to  the 
use  of  it.  They  obeyed  the  calls  of  their  country  with  alacrity,  and 
fought  as  long  as  their  services  were  necessary :  braver  troops  never 
stood  on  the  battle  field ;  they  were  valiant  without  ferocity,  and  en- 
dured the  hardships  of  war  without  the  hopes  of  plunder.  Military 
glory  was  with  them  a  principle,  not  a  passion.  Military  knowledge 
was  with  them  a  habit,  not  a  profession.  The  plough,  the  axe,  the 
saw,  and  the  hammer,  were  the  tools  of  their  handy-craft— necessary 
implements  of  their  daily  avocation  ;  and  the  musket,  and  the  sword, 
only  implements  of  defence ;  and  they  were  expert  in  all.  They 
asked  no  wreath  for  their  victories,  they  obtained  no  heraldric 
honours  for  their  numerous  instances  of  valour ;  a  consciousness 
of  having  discharged  their  duties  as  citizen  soldiers,  was  all  their  re- 
ward. At  the  time  we  are  now  describing,  they  exhibited  in  their 
character  all  that  is  now  embraced  in  the  hopes  and  desires  of  na- 

•  See  Appendix,  note  A. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  75 

tions,  for  liberty,  for  moral  dignity,  and  for  the  rights  of  man.  They 
were  sons  of  trial,  of  perseverance,  and  enterprise,  who  had  turned 
their  afflictions  and  their  exertions  to  advantage ;  and  made  not  only 
then*  enjoyments  and  privileges,  but  even  their  misfortunes,  a  truly 
valuable  lesson  for  themselves  and  for  their  posterity. 


LECTURE  V. 


See  their  BOM 

Before  the  bulwark  of  their  dear  rights  drawn, 

Proud  in  their  simple  dignity,  as  runs 

The  courser  to  the  fair  stream—on  their  thrones 

They  sat,  all  kings,  all  people— they  were  free, 

For  they  were  strong  and  temperate,  and  in  tones 

Deep  and  canorous,  nature1*  melody, 

They  sung  in  one  full  voice  the  hymn  of  liberty. 

PKKCIVAL. 

FROM  the  beginning  of  the  second  century,  reckoning  from  the 
commencement  of  the  settlement  of  the  province  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  there  could  not  have  been  more  than  half  a  million  of  inhabit- 
ants in  the  colonies.  Douglass,  as  late  as  1749,  calculates  that  there 
were  three  hundred  and  fifty-four  thousand  souls  in  New-England; 
and  it  must  be  recollected,  that  it  was  the  policy  of  the  country  to 
magnify  these  numbers,  to  appear  as  formidable  as  possible  to  the 
French  in  Canada,  and  their  allies  the  Indians.  This  is  very  evi- 
dent when  Douglass  says  there  were  ninety  thousand  fighting  men 
in  New-England  at  the  time.  This  was  too  erroneous  to  deceive  for 
a  moment.  The  growth  of  all  the  colonies  had  been  much  retarded 
by  sickness  and  wars.  Nearly  one  half  the  pilgrims  died  the  first 
three  months  after  their  landing.  A  wasting  sickness  came  among 
the  settlers  of  the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Virginia  had  her 
share  of  sickness  and  the  disasters  of  war.  In  1622,  three  hundred 
and  forty-seven  of  the  Virginia  colonists  were  massacred  by  the  In- 
dians in  one  day,  and  a  famine  and  pestilence  ensued.  The  other 
colonies  were  sickly :  in  fact,  all  new  settlements  are  so ;  numerous 
causes  conspire  to  make  them  unhealthy.  The  population  of  the 
colonies  was  very  much  overrated  at  the  commencement  of  the  re- 
volutionary war.  Burke  and  Chatham  state  the  population  to  have 


76  LECTURES  ON 

been  three  millions;  but  Franklin,  who  had  better  means  of  judging, 
puts  the  population  at  two ;  and  this  was  too  high  for  the  free  white 
population.  The  expeditions  to  take  Canada,  and  the  Indian  wars, 
had  proved  fatal  to  the  young  men  engaged  in  defending  their  coun- 
try. They  were  just  about  settling  in  life :  but  after  all,  this  may 
not  have  been  so  great  an  evil  as  it  was  then  thought  to  have  been. 
If  the  Indians  had  not  been  constantly  harrassing  the  settlers  on 
the  frontiers,  the  people  would  have  settled  extensively  in  this  new 
country,  and  the  advantage  of  schools,  churches,  and  the  good  habits 
of  a  dense  population,  would  have  been  lost.  Their  march  of  im- 
provement was  slow,  but  the  elements  of  their  growth  were  pure; 
and  if  they  gained  slowly,  they  held  their  gains  securely.  The  early 
settlers,  who  thought  this  a  place  of  sojourning,  not  a  home,  were 
dead.  A  race  had  come  up  who  knew  no  other  country,  except  in 
sympathy  with  the  feelings  of  their  fathers,  and  who  were  content 
with  their  birth  place.  They  had  been,  as  they  conceived,  neglected 
and  ill-treated  in  every  change  of  affairs  in  the  mother  country. 
They  had  suffered  from  the  bigotry  and  tyranny  of  the  house  of 
Stuart,  and  had  been  almost  forgotten  during  the  continuance  of 
the  Commonwealth.  The  colonies  had,  among  themselves,  no  com- 
mon bond  of  union,  nor  concert  in  action.  Virginia  had  harboured 
the  royalists  in  the  days  of  Cromwell,  and  New-England  the  regi- 
cides at  the  restoration  of  royalty.  At  the  restoration,  Charles  II. 
was  too  much  engaged  in  his  pleasures  to  look  after  these  colonies, 
from  whence  he  did  not  expect  to  receive  any  money  to  support  his 
love  of  indulgence.  When  the  Stuarts  were  driven  from  the 
throne,  the  house  of  Orange  was  too  busy  in  continental  Avars  to 
think  any  more  of  us  than  as  growing  auxiliaries  in  future  contests 
with  France.  When  the  house  of  Brunswick  came  to  the  throne, 
the  policy  o/  fighting  France  in  this  country  was  still  pursued,  and 
in  fact  become  necessary;  for  France  had  a  stupendous  line  of  forti- 
fications from  Cape  Breton  to  the  Mississippi.  These  must  be  con- 
quered at  all  hazards,  and  at  any  expense.  The  colonies  were  loyal 
from  principle  and  from  habit ;  but  their  hearts  were  not  so  warm 
for  their  mother  country  as  they  once  had  been.  The  seeds  of  the 
revolution  were  scattered  about  the  land  at  every  act  of  unkindness 
or  hardship  they  had  felt  from  England.  Some  of  her  patriots  and 
philosophers  had  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  growth  of  the  western 
world;  and  unquestionably  looked  forward  when  injured  virtue 
would  find  here  a  safe  retreat.  Berkley,  Milton,  Sidney,  and  Hollis, 
saw  sufficient  promise  in  the  New  World  to  induce  them  to  believe 
that  we  should  soon  become  an  important  people. 

With  a  little  bickering  about  some  disputed  points,  the  colonies 
went  on  as  usual  in  the  course  of  knowledge  and  civilization.    If 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  77 

they  were  sometimes  a  little  turbulent,  no  fears  of  permanent  diffi- 
culties were  entertained  by  the  British  nation.  The  nation  at  large 
knew  but  little  about  us ;  and  in  truth  they  have  always  been  found 
dull  of  comprehension  in  relation  to  this  country.  They  knew 
nothing  of  the  "  fine  spirits  touch'd  to  fine  issues"  who  had  grown 
up  here.  They  did  not  believe  that  a  handful  of  people  who  had 
been  romantick  and  silly  enough  to  leave  the  delights  of  polished  so- 
ciety, could  have  been  the  progenitors  of  such  a  race  of  men  as  then 
lived  in  this  country.  They  could  not  believe  that  we  had  enlarged 
the  great  lessons  of  freedom,  and  at  the  same  time  had  practised  on 
them. 

Among  those  to  whom  the  country  is  much  indebted  for  an  at- 
tempt at  diffusing  knowledge,  was  Thomas  Prince,  the  chronologist. 
He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College,  in  1707.  He  studied  divinity, 
and  in  1709  commenced  his  travels  in  Europe,  and  did  not  return 
until  1717.  His  manners  were  formed  in  the  best  society,  and  his 
information  was  of  the  most  extensive  range.  He  was  said  to  be 
the  most  learned  man  of  his  time,  excepting  Dr.  Cotton  Mather;  and 
even  Mather's  eulogists  would  acknowledge  that  Prince  had  more 
common  sense  than  their  Magnus  Apollo,  and  had  in  all  respects  a 
better  balanced  mind.  The  writings  of  Prince  are  numerous  and 
valuable.  He  published  an  account  of  the  first  appearance  of  the 
Aurora  borealis ;  a  great  many  sermons,  obituary  notices,  and  works 
on  occasional  subjects ;  but  his  great  work  is  what  he  called  a  Chro- 
nological History  of  New-England.  He  began  at  the  creation  of 
the  world,  and  he  made  a  work  of  immense  research  and  learning, 
but  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  he  did  not  bring  it  down  to  a  later  period. 
This  would  probably  have  been  effected  if  he  had  not  felt  mortified 
that  his  great  labours  were  not  more  highly  appreciated  at  the  time. 
The  present  age,  however,  has  honoured  Prince  with  a  new  edition 
of  the  "  chronological  history ;"  and  the  work  is  examined  with  great 
interest.  His  was  a  common  fate  then.  The  popular  productions 
have  gone  down  to  oblivion,  or  many  of  them,  while  this  work  is 
considered  among  the  most  valuable  of  the  kind.  This  chronology 
was  commenced  early  in  life,  and  finished  late.  The  whole  of  it 
was  not  published  until  1736. 

Those  distinguished  in  political  and  civil  life  had  hitherto  been 
found  among  those  learned  in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  schools ;  but  at 
the  commencement  of  this  half  century,  a  youth  appeared  in  the 
common  walks  of  life,  who  had  never  visited  the  academick  shades, 
nor  gone  up  to  the  fountains  of  learning,  who  was  destined  to  pro- 
duce almost  a  new  era  of  thinking  and  reasoning  in  the  moral  world. 
This  man  was  Benjamin  Franklin.  He  was  born  in  Boston,  in  1706, 
and  began  his  publick  course  when  quite  a  boy.  Being  connected 
G2 


78  LECTURES  ON 

with  a  newspaper,  he  tried  his  juvenile  hand  at  commentaries  and 
criticisms  on  the  current  topics  of  the  day,  and  soon  found  that  this 
great  world  was  not  so  wisely  governed  as  it  was  thought  to  be. 
At  midnight  he  wrote  papers  and  threw  the  manuscript  into  his 
brother's  office,  who  often  published  them,  supposing  them  to  have 
come  from  very  high  authority.  Flattered  by  his  success,  he  de- 
termined to  become  a  mender  and  director  of  the  great  world  him- 
self; and  his  destiny  was  in  accordance  with  his  determination.  In 
looking  about  him,  he  found  that  he  had  touched  the  hallowed  ves- 
sels of  the  Lord  with  too  bold  a  hand,  and  that  the  thrift  he  bent 
his  mind  to,  would  not  so  readily  be  found  in  New-England  as  else- 
where, after  this  offence.  He  wandered  to  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
thence  found  his  way  to  England,  and  back  to  Philadelphia.  In 
that  city  he  matured  his  plans,  and  lived  to  see  them  all  successful. 
Shrewd,  cautious,  enterprising,  and  watchful  of  the  signs  of  the 
times,  with  a  business  talent,  and  great  industry,  he  had  the  advan- 
tage of  most  men.  Educated  as  he  was,  he  could  readily  associate 
with  all  classes  of  society,  and  understood  them  all  perfectly.  He 
knew  the  wants,  wishes,  habits,  and  powers  of  every  grade  of  life, 
from  the  labourer  in  the  log  cabin,  anxious  to  secure  "  the  sustaining 
crust  of  bread"  for  his  helpless  children,  to  the  splendid  wretchedness 
of  the  palaces  of  princes,  and  to  the  thorny  pillow  of  the  ambitious 
statesman.  He  conversed  upon  all  the  affairs  of  life  in  a  more  practical 
manner  than  Socrates  ever  did  with  the  Athenians;  and  at  the  same 
time  he  carried  on  his  plans  for  his  country  with  the  ability  of  Peri- 
cles, and  without  one  particle  of  that  ancient  statesman's  profusion. 
The  gods  permitted  him  to  serve  the  public  for  a  very  long  life.  He 
sometimes  wrote  for  the  humblest  capacities,  as  in  Poor  Richard's 
Sayings,  and  at  other  times,  taught  the  philosophers  of  Europe  to 
bring  the  fire  from  the  heavens  and  confine  it  in  harmless  jars  of 
glass.  He  examined  minds  as  one  would  take  a  survey  of  a  field, 
and  could  at  once  tell  what  was  the  natural  soil,  and  what  had  been 
the  culture  of  it.  It  could  not  be  said  of  him,  that  he  was  a  great 
man  in  a  small  village,  for  he  belonged  to  his  country,  and  acted 
for  mankind.  He  was  an  economist  in  all  things ;  he  would  use 
the  lightning's  flash  he  had  stolen  from  the  heavens  to  assist  him  in 
picking  up  a  pin  in  the  street ;  not  from  avarice,  although  he  knew 
the  worth  of  property,  but  to  set  an  example  to  others.  He  not  only 
wished,  like  the  good  king  of  France,  that  every  one  might  have  a 
fowl  in  his  pot  for  dinner,  but  Franklin  added  to  the  same  hearty 
wish,  the  means  of  procuring  it  in  an  honest  way. 

Among  the  self-taught  men  of  that  age  was  David  Mason,  a  fol- 
lower of  Franklin,  and  perhaps  his  pupil.  It  is  certain  they 
held  a  correspondence  upon  the  subject  of  electricity;  he  was  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  79 

first  who  erected  lightning  rods  in  New-England,  and  also  the  first 
who  delivered  lectures  on  natural  philosophy  as  connected  with 
electricity.  His  experiments  excited  the  wonder  of  some  of  the 
good  people  of  Massachusetts,  and  they  required  the  opinion  of  a 
number  of  the  clergy  upon  the  morality  and  propriety  of  attending 
his  lectures,  intimating  something  more  than  a  suspicion  that  such 
things  must  have  been  performed  by  the  "  black  art."  The  clergy, 
as  they  have  generally  been,  were  on  the  side  of  science ;  and  the 
lectures  went  on  unmolested,  but  with  some  suspicions  still  lingering 
among  the  ignorant.  In  the  war  of  1755,  Mason  was  an  officer  in 
the  corps  of  engineers,  and  was  distinguished  for  bravery  and  science. 
When  the  American  revolution  opened,  he  was  foremost  among  the 
patriots ;  and  his  knowledge  of  practical  gunnery,  and  of  fortification, 
was  of  incalculable  service  to  the  army.  Chemistry  then  was  but 
little  known  in  this  country,  but  he  was  acquainted  with  the  science 
as  then  understood  in  Europe ;  and  was  called  upon  by  the  makers 
of  gun  powder  and  cannon  to  assist  them  in  the  art.  He  was  field- 
officer,  teacher  of  tacticks,  and  superintendant  of  arsenals  during  the 
whole  war ;  such  a  man  as  Colonel  Mason  was  wanted  every  where. 
The  character  of  this  distinguished  officer  should  find  a  place  in  his 
country's  list  of  heroes ;  it  is  only  as  a  man  of  intellect  and  science 
we  name  him. 

Amidst  the  attentions  of  our  people  to  all  theological  speculations, 
the  exact  sciences  were  not  neglected.  They  had  received  a  great 
deal  of  attention  ever  since  the  first  settlement  of  the  country.  Sher- 
man, we  have  already  mentioned,  was  followed  by  Danforth,  who 
was  also  distinguished  in  this  branch  of  science :  in  1644,  he  pub- 
lished an  almanack,  and  a  calculation  of  the  orbits  of  comets.  He 
has  been  distinguished  as  one  of  the  most  sentimental  preachers  of 
his  time,  and  his  eloquence  was  of  the  first  order.  He  died  in  1674,  at 
the  age  of  forty-eight.  Who  filled  up  the  space  as  an  almanack 
maker  from  his  time  to  that  of  Daniel  Travis,  I  have  not  as  yet  dis- 
covered. The  earliest  number  of  the  series  of  almanacks  I  have 
yet  seen  of  Travis'  is  one  of  1721,  which  I  have  now  in  my  posses- 
sion ;  and  on  comparing  it  with  the  almanacks  of  1827, 1  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that  it  is  no  ways  inferiour  to  the  latter. 

In  1731,  Nathaniel  Ames,  who  then  styled  himself  "  Student  in 
Physic  and  Astronomy,"  published  an  almanack,  which  was  con- 
tinued until  his  death,  in  1765.  It  was  a  most  useful  book,  filled 
with  all  the  necessary  astronomical  calculations  for  the  year,  and 
with  patriotic  remarks  and  moral  reflections.  In  one  of  his  numbers, 
I  think  that  of  1745,  he  indulges  in  a  prophecy  of  the  future  glories 
of  his  country.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  accuracy  of  his  calculations 
in  the  records  of  human  anticipation.  Perhaps  he  had  shown  among 


80  LECTURES  ON 

the  common  people  a  little  quackery  in  displaying  his  knowledge, 
but  this  was  harmless,  for  the  most  enlightened  of  his  friends  es- 
teemed him  as  a  sagacious  and  valuable  man ;  and  one  who  was 
consulted  in  domestick  and  political  arrangements,  by  all  around  him. 
After  the  speech  of  Lord  Chatham  on  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act, 
Ames  got  up  a  subscription  to  erect  him  a  statue.  It  exhibited  the 
gratitude  of  the  good  yeomanry  of  Dedham  to  the  eloquent  premier, 
but  did  not  show  any  great  advancement  in  the  art  of  sculpture. 
Nathaniel  Ames  was  the  father  of  Fisher  Ames,  whose  name  and 
writings  we  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  in  another  lecture. 

Almanacks  were  more  connected  with  literature,  and  particularly 
with  history,  in  that  day,  than  at  the  present  time ;  for  it  was  the 
general  practice  of  learned  men  to  keep  an  almanack  in  which  to 
record  all  the  passing  events  on  blank  leaves,  or  in  marginal  notes. 
I  have  one  of  these  in  my  possession  which  belonged  to  Samuel 
Sewall,  chief-justice  of  Massachusetts,  in  1718,  filled  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  with  notes  upon  current  affairs,  domestick,  pub- 
lick,  or  national,  both  in  English  and  Latin.  This  same  chief  justice 
Sewall  was  himself  a  writer  of  distinction  at  that  time,  and  had  be- 
fore, in  1690,  published  "answers  to  inquiries  respecting  America;" 
a  work  of  great  merit  for  its  accuracy  in  its  details.  No  man  could 
think  of  leaving  the  world  at  that  period,  without  leaving  something 
on  some  subject,  in  divinity,  which  was  in  after  ages  to  be  the  basis 
of  his  fame ;  but  which,  most  probably,  these  after  ages  will  not 
give  themselves  much  trouble  about.  Judge  Sewall,  a  learned  and 
great  man  in  his  profession,  wrote  "  proposal  touching  the  accom- 
plishment of  prophecies ;"  "  Phoenomina  quaedam  Apocalyptica,  or 
a  description  of  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth." 

While  mathematicks  and  theology  were  in  a  prosperous  state,  his- 
tory was  not  neglected.  William  Douglass,  M.  D.,  a  physician  in 
Boston,  was  one  of  the  number  who  were  publishing  accounts  of 
this  country.  He  was  noticed  for  the  freedom  of  his  thoughts  and 
remarks.  Every  one  acknowledged  that  he  was  learned ;  but  his 
sarcasms  made  him  many  enemies.  He  was  indefatigable  in  col- 
lecting materials  for  a  history  of  the  colonies ;  and  he  published  what 
he  called  "  a  summary,"  or  an  historical  account  of  the  British  settle- 
ments in  1749  and  1753.  Honest  Elliot  says,  that  Douglass  wrote 
in  a  slovenly  style;  but  he  had  caught  something  of  the  prejudice 
which  tradition  had  brought  down  to  his  own  time.  Douglass  had, 
it  is  seen  by  his  writings,  no  great  regard  for  the  strict  doctrines  of 
the  Mathers,  or  perhaps  for  any  religious  principles  taught  at  that 
time.  The  weight  of  private  character  in  one's  own  neighbourhood 
enters  very  fully  into  his  public  fame,  and  it  is  impossible  to  separate 
them  entirely  even  at  a  distance;  but  as  nearly  a  century  has  elapsed 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  81 

since  these  impressions  were  made  upon  the  minds  of  the  good  peo- 
ple of  Boston,  it  may  be  proper  now  for  us  to  give  them  up,  and 
look  at  his  productions  alone.  His  learning  was  not  confined  to  one 
branch  of  information.  He  was  a  botanist,  more  learned  than  his  pre- 
decessors, and  advocated  the  doctrine,  at  that  early  period,  on  which 
Darwin  founded,  half  a  century  afterwards,  his  splendid  poem,  "The 
Loves  of  the  Plants."  Douglass  turned  his  attention  to  statisticks,  and 
political  economy,  before  the  latter  science  had  received  a  name ; 
and  this  information  is  scattered  through  his  historical  works ;  but 
it  did  not  suit  the  taste  of  the  times  as  well  as  wonderful  events  and 
miraculous  providences.  He  was  the  decided  enemy  of  Cotton  Ma- 
ther, and  they  were  at  daggers-drawn  while  Mather  was  living,  and 
Douglass  did  not  spare  the  fame  of  his  enemy  when  he  was  dead. 

The  natural  history  of  New-England,  and  her  botanical  treasures, 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  Paul  Dudley,  F.  R.  S.,  chief  justice  of 
Massachusetts,  who  wrote  some  papers  upon  these  subjects,  which 
were  published  in  the  philosophical  transactions  of  the  Royal  So- 
ciety, London,  1720  and  1721,  which  are  of  a  high  order  of  writing, 
and  show  great  observation  and  acuteness.  Douglass  pursued  his 
inquiries  perhaps  farther  than  his  neighbour  Dudley,  the  subject 
being  more  intimately  connected  with  his  professional  pursuits. 
The  historians  of  this  country  have  been  more  indebted  to  Douglass 
than  they  have  been  willing  to  allow.  The  most  enlightened  phy- 
sicians acknowledge  that  he  wrote  upon  professional  subjects  with 
great  talent  and  information.  Among  his  papers  on  medical  subjects 
is  a  dissertation  on  the  "  Cynanche  Maligna,"  which  prevailed  in 
Boston  in  the  year  1736 ;  and  in  that  and  subsequent  years  swept 
off  a  great  many  of  the  children,  and  some  full  grown  persons 
Mathematicians,  too,  consider  Douglass  as  in  the  front  rank  of  their 
host ;  and  as  proofs  of  the  correctness  of  these  opinions  they  refer 
to  the  almanack  he  published  in  1733-4,  styled  the  "Mercurius  No- 
vanglicanus,  by  William  Nadir,  S.  X.  Q."  This  work,  besides  all 
the  astronomical  calculations  common  in  such  a  publication,  con- 
tains a  catalogue  of  historical  events  in  chronological  order,  which 
lias  saved  his  successors,  in  writing  history,  a  great  many  laborious 
hours.  It  is  unsafe  to  trust  to  the  opinions  which  Douglass  gave  of 
his  contemporaries,  for  he  was  often  goaded  to  bitter  resentments 
against  those  who  attempted  to  diminish  his  influence  and  tarnish 
his  fame  for  want  of  conformity  to  the  creeds  of  the  day.  His  wri- 
tings do  not  directly  show  either  infidelity  or  absolute  laxity  of 
morals,  both  of  which  he  was  charged  with ;  and,  if  tradition  may 
be  relied  on,  with  justice.  In  matters  of  a  general  nature,  or  of  a 
professional  cast,  where  his  enmities  did  not  enter,  he  is  the  best 
authority  of  the  times  in  which  he  wrote,  notwithstanding  all  the 
11 


82  LECTURES  ON 

imputations  which  have  been  cast  on  his  fame.  I  have  been  more 
particular  in  this  notice  of  Douglass,  because  he  has  been  so  often 
plundered  and  so  long  neglected ;  leaving  the  great  Author  of  his 
being  to  judge  of  his  morals  and  religion. 

One  branch  of  metaphysicks,  that  which  treats  of  superiour  beings, 
and  of  the  abstract  nature  and  the  attributes  of  God,  had  long  been 
a  study  with  the  divines  of  every  denomination  in  this  country ; 
but  that  part  of  the  science  which  analyzes  the  human  mind,  and 
treats  of  its  capacities,  affections,  passions,  and  reasoning  powers, 
had  not  been  studied  in  this,  nor  in  any  other  country,  until  the  great 
metaphysician,  John  Locke,  arose  in  England,  who  brought  the  ener- 
gies of  the  most  comprehensive  power  to  bear  upon  the  philosophy 
of  the  mind ;  and  gave  new  views  to  the  enlightened  upon  this  sub- 
ject. Some  of  the  distinguished  men  in  America,  delighted  with 
this  study,  so  congenial  to  their  habits  of  investigation  of  spiritual 
essences,  pursued  the  path  of  Locke  with  great  ability  and  success. 
Among  these  was  Jonathan  Edwards,  who  was  a  native  of  Connec- 
ticut, and  was  born  about  the  year  1702,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale 
College,  1720.  He  was  for  some  time  settled  in  Northampton,  in 
Massachusetts,  afterwards  at  Stockbridge,  in  the  same  common- 
wealth ;  and  from  this  latter  place  was  removed  to  Princeton,  New- 
Jersey,  as  president  of  that  college,  to  succeed  President  Burr;  but- 
President  Edwards  did  not  live  long  to  serve  his  fellow  men  in  that 
conspicuous  situation.  The  great  work  of  President  Edwards  is 
entitled  "  The  Freedom  of  the  Will."  This  raised  his  reputation  to 
an  equality  with  the  first  metaphysicians  of  his  age  in  this  country 
and  in  Europe.  This  work  was  for  many  years  read  as  a  classick 
in  metaphysicks  in  several  of  our  colleges.  The  style  in  many  parts 
of  this  work  is  obscure  and  involved ;  and  it  is  thought,  by  some 
teachers,  too  abstruse  for  young  men  in  that  science ;  and  in  fact  it  is 
now  almost  entirely  superseded  by  Stewart,  Locke,  Reed,  Brown, 
and  others.  It  requires  the  grasp  of  a  vigorous  and  mature  mind 
to  master  such  a  work  as  Edwards  on  the  Will,  without  previous 
training  in  the  more  simple  elements  of  the  science.  The  freedom 
of  the  will  is  a  subject  of  inquiry  which  commenced  with  the  first 
man,  and  will  end  only  with  the  last ;  and  will  never  be  thoroughly 
explained  by  any  one ;  but  most  certainly  it  is  no  common  mind 
that  can  produce  any  thing  worthy  of  notice  on  such  a  mysterious 
subject. 

President  Edwards  wrote  other  treatises ;  one  on  "  the  history  of 
redemption ;"  "  a  defence  of  the  doctrine  of  original  sin ;"  and  also 
"a  treatise  on  the  affections,"  a  work  much  read  by  all  classes  of 
Christians  of  the  present  day ;  and  another  upon  the  "  nature  of  vir- 
tue;" in  the  whole,  eight  volumes.  When  Edwards  wrote,  it  was 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  83 

thought  that  abstruse  subjects  were  not  susceptible  of  embellishment; 
but  Stewart  has  convinced  the  world  that  there  is  no  subject  so 
knotty  and  knarled  which  the  skill  of  a  master  cannot  adorn  and 
polish  with  the  charms  of  imagination. — Poetry  is  now  the  handmaid 
of  philosophy. 

President  Edwards  had  a  son,  Jonathan  Edwards,  D.  D.,  who  was 
president  of  Schenectady  College,  and  distinguished  himself  as  a 
writer  upon  metaphysicks.  He  wrote  an  answer  to  Dr.  Chauncey^ 
work,  "  Salvation  for  all  men,"  and  likewise  to  Dr.  Samuel  West's 
essays  upon  liberty  and  necessity,  and  many  think  he  was  superior 
to  his  father ;  certainly,  his  writings  are  more  lucid  than  his  fa- 
ther's ;  but  few  men  ever  equalled  the  author  of  the  Freedom  of  the 
Will  in  strength  and  depth. 

Since  the  invention  of  printing,  the  world  has  been  flooded  with 
scholastick  and  controversial  divinity ;  which  has  been  read  for 
a  while,  and  then  dropped  into  oblivion,  without  the  regrets  of  any 
one.  Then  some  new  subject,  in  the  same  field,  would  be  started  and 
pursued  with  great  animation,  for  a  while,  and  then  take  the  fate  of 
the  preceding  one.  We  may  talk,  with  a  smile,  of  the  dulness  of 
the  "  convent's  shade,"  and  ridicule  tomes  written  upon  monosylla- 
bles. It  is  easy  to  condemn,  with  a  word,  what  we  have  not  seen, 
and  do  not  understand  ;  but  no  one,  weU  acquainted  with  the  works 
of  these  laborious  metaphysicians,  and  wranglers  upon  every  thing 
of  matter  and  mind,  will  hesitate,  notwithstanding  all  their  quaint- 
ness,  far-fetched  illustrations,  and  singular  inductions,  to  ascribe  to 
them  the  merit  of  laying  the  foundations  of  modern  knowledge. 
There  is  now  to  be  found,  in  their  moth-eaten  pages,  wit,  satire,  argu- 
ment, and,  sometimes,  taste,  sentiment,  and  even  elegance,  with 
worlds  of  learning.  There  are  other  considerations,  which  should 
make  this  class  of  men  dear  to  us,  for,  in  all  their  religious  discus- 
sions, some  glorious  scintillations  of  thought,  upon  civil  and  politi- 
cal rights,  were  struck  out,  and  were  caught  by,  and  illumed  other 
minds,  engaged  in  other  pursuits. 

About  the  year  1763,  a  question  respecting  the  introduction  of 
episcopal  bishops  in  the  American  colonies,  was  agitated  in  this 
country,  which  brought  out  some  of  the  first  literary  characters 
then  in  it.  The  publications  on  this  controversy  were  much  read 
at  the  time,  and  infused  into  the  people  a  love  of  attending  to  every 
thing  relating  to  their  rights  in  religious  and  political  matters.  The 
Rev.  East  Apthorp,  rector  of  the  episcopal  church  in  Cambridge, 
near  Boston,  was  the  champion  for  the  introduction  of  the  bishops ; 
he  was  seconded  in  this,  by  several  able  and  conscientious  men ; 
Dr.  Samuel  Seabury,  afterwards  the  first  bishop  of  Connecticut ; 
Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  and  others,  gentlemen  known  for  their  learning 


84  LECTURES  ON 

and  piety.  The  opposition  to  this  doctrine  consisted  of  the  most 
powerful  array  of  talents  which  ever  appeared  on  any  question,  in 
this  country,  except  that  of  independence.  Dr.  Chauncey,  of  Bos- 
ton, a  great  scholar  and  divine,  was  among  this  number ;  he  was 
then  in  the  full  maturity  of  his  faculties ;  he  wrote  with  erudition, 
firmness,  and  decision ;  and  all  were  delighted  with  his  display  of 
learning  and  patriotism.  He  was  then  nearly  sixty  years  of  age. 
Dr.  Jonathan  Mayhew,  of  Boston,  engaged  in  this  controversy. 
He  was  the  ablest  metaphysical  gladiator  of  the  age  in  which  he 
lived.  He  was  then  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  possessing  a  fearless- 
ness, and  a  hardihood  of  character,  which  nothing  but  death  could 
subdue ;  rich  in  the  learning  of  his  day,  and  ready,  at  any  moment, 
to  take  his  part  in  any  thing  which  would  benefit  his  country.  He 
saw  the  Apocalypse  of  liberty,  and  felt  its  inspiration.  The  signs 
of  the  times  were  full  of  moment  and  importance.  He  was  in 
communion  with  the  bold  spirits  on  the  other  side  of  the  water, 
Lardner,  Benson,  Hollis,  Kippis,  and  others.  In  the  pride  of  his 
strength,  he  came  down  upon  ecclesiastical  corruptions,  and  the 
tyranny  of  religious  establishments :  with  the  zeal  of  a  reformer, 
he  tore  the  tiara  and  broke  the  crosier  for  interfering  with  civil  mat- 
ters. His  temper  was  warm,  and,  like  other  reformers,  he  often 
went  farther  than  he  intended,  but  no  one  could  charge  him  with 
the  slightest  degree  of  hypocrisy.  He  dared  to  think  for  himself, 
and  openly  to  avow  his  thoughts  on  every  subject  relating  to  reli- 
gion or  civil  policy.  He  discovered  no  regard  for  the  divine  rights 
of  kings ;  and  in  a  sermon  preached  on  the  31st  day  of  January,  the 
anniversary  of  the  death  of  Charles  I.,  he  spake  more  freely  than 
any  one  had  ventured  to  speak  before,  upon  the  character  of  the 
monarch  who  had  been  styled  the  royal  martyr.  There  seemed 
not  the  slightest  disposition  in  his  mind  to  canonize  him.  Mayhew 
died  at  the  age  of  forty-six,  with  a  nervous  fever,  brought  on  by 
Intense  application  to  his  studies  and  parochial  duties.  His  heart 
was  a  noble  and  fearless  one,  as  ever  palpitated  in  the  bosom  of 
man,  and  his  grave  was  wet  by  the  tears  of  patriots.  Religious 
freedom  is  connected  with  civil  in  this  and  other  countries,  and  at 
all  times.  In  the  memoirs  of  Thomas  Hollis,  there  is  a  fine  minia- 
ture likeness  of  Dr.  Mayhew,  with  a  short  notice  of  him  as  a  Chris- 
tian and  patriot ;  and  in  the  library  of  Harvard  university,  a  portrait 
from  the  pencil  of  Smibert.  Dr.  Mayhew  published  voluminously 
upon  controversial  divinity ;  and  his  works  are  very  considerably 
read  by  the  scholars  of  our  time,  who  are  desirous  of  estimating  the 
talents  of  those  who  are  gone,  and  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the 
light  they  left  us.  After  all,  the  fears  these  good  men  entertained 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  80 

of  English  bishops  were  probably  imaginary;  what  harm  have  the 
catholick  bishops  done  since  ? 

In  this  third  half  century,  there  were  several  colleges  founded  in  this 
country.  The  first  of  these  was  Nassau  Hall,  or  the  college  of  New- 
Jersey.  This  institution  was  founded  in  1746,  at  Elizabethtown ;  from 
this  place  it  was  removed  to  Newark,  in  1747,  and  in  1757  to  Prince- 
ton, where  it  now  is.  It  was  then  under  the  superintendance  of  Aaron 
Burr,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  in  the  class  of  1735. 
To  have  found  such  a  man  was  a  most  auspicious  beginning,  for  he 
was  learned,  and  indefatigable  in  his  duties,  and  fulfilled  them  from 
inclination  as  well  as  from  principle.  Such  a  man  does  much  by 
example,  as  well  as  by  precept,  to  make  his  pupils  scholars  and 
Christians.  He  was  considered  as  an  eloquent  man,  and,  it  is  said, 
that  many  of  the  preachers  who  came  from  that  college,  kept  his 
manner  alive  for  a  series  of  years  after  the  good  man's  death. 
President  Burr  was  succeeded  by  his  father-in-law,  Jonathan  Ed- 
wards, of  whom  we  have  spoken  in  this  lecture,  and  under  his  care 
the  college  continued  to  flourish,  and  sent  forth  well-informed  young 
men  for  church  and  state. 

Columbia  College,  in  the  city  of  New- York,  was  founded  in  1754, 
and  was  then  called  King's  College.  The  change  of  name  was  made 
at  the  revolution.  This  institution  was  founded  by  several  pious, 
learned,  and  enterprising  gentlemen  at  New- York,  consisting  of 
Lieut.  Governor  De  Lancy,  Dr.  Barclay,  Drs.  Johnson,  of  Connec- 
ticut, and  Chandler,  of  New-Jersey,  Joseph  Murray,  the  attorney 
general  of  the  province,  and  most  of  the  literati  of  the  state,  who  lent 
a  helping  hand  to  the  good  work.  It  requires  a  great  deal  of  nursing 
to  build  up  an  institution  of  learning.  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  re- 
nowned at  that  time  and  since  in  the  republick  of  letters,  was  the 
first  president,  and  under  his  care  the  coUege  grew  into  repute,  and 
has  since  that  period  had  the  hononr  of  producing  some  of  our  first- 
rate  statesmen  and  orators,  and  men  of  letters.  Dr.  Johnson  was  an 
author,  and  wrote  a  treatise  upon  logick,  and  one  upon  ethicks,  which 
were  issued  from  the  press  of  Dr.  Franklin,  then  residing  at  Phila- 
delphia, 1752.  Dr.  Johnson  afterwards  published  a  Hebrew  gram- 
mar, which  was  in  use  in  some  of  the  colleges  until  it  was  superse- 
ded by  the  Hebrew  grammar  of  the  learned  Dr.  John  Smith,  pro- 
fessor of  the  languages  at  Dartmouth  College. 

In  1764,  a  college  was  founded  in  Rhode-Island  ;  the  Rev.  James 
Manning,  of  New-Jersey,  had  the  honour  of  being  the  prime  mover 
in  this  enterprise,  and  was  elected  the  first  president  of  this  college. 
Samuel  Elam,  Esq.,  was  one  of  its  principal  benefactors  in  its  in- 
fancy, but  the  college  now  bears  the  name  of  its  present  patron, 
H 


86  LECTURES  ON 

Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.,  of  Providence.  It  is  at  this  moment  under 
happy  auspices. 

Dartmouth  college  was  incorporated  in  1762.  It  is  situated  in 
the  town  of  Hanover,  in  the  state  of  New-Hampshire.  This  col- 
lege was  founded  by  Dr.  Eleazer  Wheelock,  a  man  of  great  benevo- 
lence and  learning.  A  school  had  been  established  at  Stockbridge, 
in  Massachusetts,  by  the  Rev.  John  Sergeant,  about  the  year  1743. 
This  seminary  was  commenced  for  the  benefit  of  the  Stockbridge 
tribe  of  Indians ;  but  he  had  hardly  begun  this  pious  labour,  when 
he  was  removed  from  it  by  death.  Dr.  Wheelock  attempted  to  re- 
vive this  school,  and,  for  this  purpose,  solicited  donations  in  Europe 
and  America.  He  opened  it  at  Lebanon,  and  called  it  Moore's 
academy.  Before  this  time,  Dr.  Wheelock  had  contemplated  found- 
ing a  college  somewhere  on  Connecticut  river,  and  the  Earl  of 
Dartmouth  had  promised  his  assistance  to  the  undertaking.  Hano- 
ver was  fixed  upon  as  the  most  suitable  place  for  its  site.  Moore's 
school  was  removed  there  also,  but  was  not  connected  with  the  col- 
lege. Besides  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth,  there  were  several  other 
benefactors,  King  George  III.,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  and 
others  of  eminence,  in  England ;  and  John  Adams,  Dr.  Franklin, 
John  Phillips,  and  Samuel  Phillips,  with  others,  of  this  country, 
lent  a  helping  hand  to  the  establishment  of  this  seminary.  Dr. 
Wheelock  was  going  on  prosperously,  when  the  revolutionary  war 
broke  out.  The  students  necessarily  became  soldiers,  and  the  build- 
ing a  garrison.  The  scholars  read  the  classicks  with  arms  in  their 
hands,  and,  to  use  an  expression  of  the  second  president,  "  MARS 
was  made  the  protector  of  MERCURY."  After  the  war  was  over, 
this  institution  flourished,  and  has  sent  forth  her  proportion  of  emi- 
nent men,  in  every  age  of  her  straggles,  of  which  she  has  had  her 
share.  Out  of  her  history  has  grown  one  of  the  most  important 
decisions,  in  fixing  the  stability  of  property  and  the  rights  of  char- 
ters, that  is  to  be  found  on  the  records  of  our  federal  judiciary. 

It  is  greatly  to  the  honour  of  our  country,  that,  on  every  occa- 
sion that  has  required  talents  of  any  sort,  she  has  readily  produced 
them,  whether  the  subject  presented  was  literary,  scientific,  or  poli- 
tical. We  have  already  spoken  of  our  mathematicians,  and  of  their 
labours  in  various  ways ;  but  in  no  instance  was  their  merits  more 
conspicuous,  or  their  knowledge  so  thoroughly  tested,  as  when  the 
planet  Venus  made  a  transit  over  the  disk  of  the  sun  in  1761.  Great 
preparations  were  made  in  England  and  France,  as  well  as  in  this 
country,  to  seek  the  best  places  on  the  globe  for  observations  at  the 
time.  In  this  country,  some  of  our  first  minds  were  deeply  engaged 
in  making  the  most  minute  and  accurate  notices  of  this  event. 
Ewing,  Rittenhouse,  Smith,  Williamson,  West,  and  Winthrop,  and 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  87 

many  others,  published  accounts  of  this  phenomenon ;  and  the  phi- 
losophers of  Europe  have  acknowledged,  that  those  of  America 
were  the  most  accurate  of  all  that  were  published.  These  men  were 
not  mere  mathematicians,  but  were  also  distinguished  for  their 
knowledge  of  letters.  The  Rev.  John  Ewing,  D.  D.,  a  native 
of  Maryland,  bom  in  1732,  and  graduated  at  New-York  College,  in 
1755.  He  was  settled  as  a  minister  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  chosen 
provost  of  the  university  of  Pennsylvania  in  1777,  and  lived  to  a 
good  old  age.  John  Blair  Linn,  D.  D.,  his  colleague,  wrote  the  obi- 
tuary of  his  venerable  friend  in  a  style  of  surpassing  elegance.  Of 
Rittenhouse,  it  is  difficult  to  speak  without  seeming  exaggeration. 
He  was  a  self-taught  man  ;  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1752,  he  was  a 
mathematician  from  his  cradle.  He  perfected  himself  in  the  art  of 
clock-making  by  his  own  ingenuity.  Newton's  principia  was  mas- 
tered by  him  without  any  assistance.  From  that  he  went  to  flux- 
ions, and,  for  awhile,  thought  himself  the  original  inventor.  It  is 
true,  he  was  in  a  good  degree  a  genuine  inventor,  but  not  an  origi- 
nal one.  It  is  often  the  fate  of  uneducated  geniuses,  to  spend  much 
time  on  subjects,  the  discovery  of  which  was  unknown  to  them,  but 
with  which  former  ages  have  been  familiar.  He  invented  an  orrery, 
as  he  called  his  planetarium,  which  far  exceeded,  in  accuracy  and 
extent,  all  that  had  been  known  before.  After  his  publication  of  his 
observations  on  the  transit  of  Venus,  he  became  extensively  known 
in  Europe  as  well  as  in  this  country,  and  loaded  with  academic  ho- 
nours—L.  L.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  &c.,  were  added  to  his  name.  He  was 
president  of  the  philosophical  society  of  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Rush 
wrote  his  obituary  notice,  and  others  strove  to  make  his  fame  bear 
some  proportion  to  his  merit.  Barlow,  in  his  Vision  of  Columbus, 
speaks  of  him  among  the  great  men  that  the  hero  saw  in  "  coming 
time,"  who  were  to  bless  their  country  by  the  power  of  their  under- 
standing. 

"  Thus  heard  the  hero — while  his  roving  view 
Traced  other  crowds  that  liberal  arts  pursue ; 
When  thus  the  Seraph— Lo,  a  favourite  band, 
The  torch  of  science  naming  in  their  hand ! 
Through  nature's  range  their  ardent  soul  inspire, 
Or  wake  to  life  the  canvass  and  the  lyre. 
Fbrt  in  sublimest  thought,  behold  them  rise, 
Superiour  worlds  unfolding  to  their  eyes ; 
Heav-'n,  in  their  view,  unveils  the  eternal  plan, 
And  gives  new  guidance  to  the  paths  of  man. 

See  the  sage  Rittenhouse,  with  ardent  eye, 
Lift  the  long  tube  and  pierce  the  starry  sky ; 


»*• 

88  LECTURES  ON 

Clear  in  his  view  the  circling  systems  roll, 

And  broader  splendours  gild  the  central  pole. 

He  marks  what  laws  the  eccentrick  wanderers  bind, 

Copies  creation  in  his  forming  mind, 

And  bids,  beneath  his  hand,  in  semblance  rise, 

With  mimick  orbs,  the  labours  of  the  skies ; 

There  wondering  crowds  with  raptured  eye  behold 

The  spangled  heavens  their  mystick  maze  unfold  ; 

While  each  gkd  sage  his  splendid  hall  shall  grace, 

With  all  the  spheres  that  cleave  the  ethereal  space." 

Benjamin  West,  another  eminent  mathematician,  was  also  a  self- 
taught  philosopher.  He  was  for  sometime  a  professor  of  mathema- 
ticks and  natural  philosophy  in  Providence  college,  and  very  much 
distinguished  in  his  branches.  Pike,  the  author  of  the  Arithmetick, 
which  most  of  us  have  dozed,  plodded,  or  fretted  over,  informed  me, 
that  West  was  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  men  in  the  science  of 
numbers  he  had;  ever  met  with.  This  talent  for  mathematical  in- 
quiries is  almost  as  common  in  our  country  as  the  inventive  capa- 
city. There  is  scarcely  a  village  which  does  not  contain  some 
gifted  man  in  that  way.  I  have  known  a  malt-seller,  and  a  school 
master  in  an  obscure  country  town,  teaching  at  six  dollars  per 
month,  who  were  among  the  best  instructors  in  mathematicks  that  I 
ever  knew :  and  at  the  present  time  the  island  of  Nantucket  is  dis- 
tinguished for  mathematicks.  The  Folgers  have,  for  more  than  a 
century  through  successive  generations,  watched  the  phenomena  of 
the  heavens,  and  given  the  result  of  their  observations  to  the  publick. 

Professor  Winthrop,  of  Harvard  College,  probably  made  the 
highest  exertions  to  notice  the  transit  of  Venus,  of  any  American. 
In  1761,  he  sailed  to  St.  Johns,  in  Newfoundland,  for  that  purpose, 
and  on  the  sixth  day  of  June  of  that  year,  had  a  fine  clear  morning 
to  make  his  observations.  Winthrop  was  an  accomplished  scholar, 
in  most  branches  of  learning,  and  wrote  Latin  with  great  facility  and 
in  great  purity.  He  published  treatises  on  comets,  earthquakes, 
&c.  was  deeply  read  in  divinity,  and  was  a  very  pious  man.  He 
said  of  revelation,  perhaps,  what  no  mathematician  ever  said  before 
— "  the  light  thrown  upon  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state,  (meaning 
by  revelation,)  amounts  with  me  to  demonstration."  It  has  been 
too  often  supposed  that  philosophy  and  deep  research  were  inimical 
to  religion;  but  this  has  seldom  been  the  case,  certainly  not  in  our 
country ;  for  the  wise  and  the  learned,  have  seen  and  felt  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  future  state,  to  satisfy  their  longings  after  that  know- 
ledge which  they  believed  existed,  and  yet  was  unfathomable  by  the 
intellect  of  man,  in  his  present  state  of  existence.  The  weak  fol- 
lowers of  some  human  creed,  have  too  often  taken  a  denial  of  its 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  89 

truth  and  efficacy,  for  a  disbelief  in  the  great  doctrines  of  revela- 
tion. The  higher  the  views,  the  more  penetrating  the  ken ;  and  the 
greater  the  ability  to  examine,  the  more  forcibly  does  man  feel  his 
nature,  and  the  more  ardent  are  his  aspirations  that  it  may  be  pu- 
rified and  elevated. 


LECTURE  VI. 


God  gave  to  man  power  to  feel,  to  think,  to  will,  and  to  act ;  and  made  him 
responsible  for  this  prerogative ;  whoever,  then,  has  the  gift  of  tongues,  let 
him  use  it ;  whoever  holds  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer,  let  him  dip  it  in  the  ink- 
horn  ;  or  whoever  has  a  sword,  let  him  gird  it  on,  for  the  crisis  demands  our 
highest  efforts,  both  physical  and  mental.  The  soul  has  ita  nerves  as  well  as 
the  body,  and  both  must  be  put  in  tono  for  service. 

Old  Sermon. 

THE  next  epoch,  that  called  forth  the  talents  of  our  countrymen, 
was  the  attempt  of  the  British  ministry  to  tax  the  colonies  without 
their  consent.  Not  content  with  the  monopoly  of  the  trade  of  the 
colonies,  they  wished  to  draw  a  revenue  from  them,  by  imposing 
taxes  in  the  form  of  duties  on  certain  articles  of  common  consump- 
tion. This  was  at  first  resisted  by  petitions,  remonstrances,  and  ar- 
guments from  every  portion  of  the  country.  They  did  not  regard 
as  a  grevious  matter  the  duties  imposed :  it  was  the  declaration 
which  accompanied  this  taxation  which  was  so  offensive,  of  their 
right  to  tax  the  colonies,  at  all  times,  and  in  all  cases  whatsoever. 
The  manner  of  enforcing  these  acts  of  Parliament  was  equally  of- 
fensive. The  custom-houses,  which  had  been  regulated  with  the 
usual  lenity  of  collecting  all  colonial  duties,  were  instructed  to  use  all 
sorts  of  severity  to  bring  the  people  at  once  to  their  allegiance  and 
obedience.  Informers  and  spies  were  scattered  through  the  coun- 
try, and  behaved  with  all  the  insolence  of  petty  tyrants  ;  still  their 
fears  of  the  resentments  of  a  people,  never  known  for  timidity,  in- 
duced them  to  wish  to  have  the  appearance  of  acting  legally,  if  un- 
kindly. To  do  this,  they  applied  to  the  courts  for  lorits  of  assist- 
ance. The  courts  hesitated :  this  process  had  never  been  known 
before  in  the  colonies.  The  writ  was  considered  in  the  nature  of  a 
star-chamber  proceeding,  and  against  the  great  principles  of  Magnet 
H2  12 


90  LECTURES  ON 

Charta.  The  custorn-house  petitioners  obtained  a  rule  on  those  in- 
terested to  show  cause  why  the  petition  should  not  be  granted. 
Gridley  was  attorney-general,  and  of  course,  was  bound  by  the 
duties  of  his  office,  to  appear  for  the  officers  of  his  Majesty's  cus- 
toms. Otis  was  employed  on  the  side  of  the  merchants.  This  was 
in  1761.  The  cause  of  the  petitioners  was  ably  argued  by  Gridley : 
he  brought  all  his  learning  into  the  cause,  which  was  considerable, 
and  the  whole  weight  of  his  character,  which  was  greater  with  the 
court.  Otis  made  a  most  eloquent  and  learned  answer,  the  fame  of 
which  is  not  lost  by  the  lapse  of  years.  The  court  were  in  doubt, 
and  took  time  for  advisement;  and  the  subject  has  never  been  settled 
to  this  day,  in  that  or  in  any  other  court.  This  was  the  speech 
which  John  Adams  has  told  us, "  breathed  into  the  nation  the  breath 
of  life."  I  am  not  engaging  in  a  political  discussion  at  this  time, 
but  this  statement  is  made  to  show  the  causes  of  the  development 
of  talent  in  this  country.  Immediately  after  this,  the  papers  waxed 
warm  upon  this  subject,  and  others  connected  with  it,  and  the  press 
teemed  with  pamphlets,  which  discovered  no  small  degree  of  poli- 
tical information.  Otis  was  not  content  with  employing  his  elo- 
quence alone,  but  he  took  up  his  pen  also  in  defence  of  our  rights  ; 
and  if  his  pen  was  not  equal  to  his  tongue,  it  was  sufficiently  pointed 
and  powerful  to  arouse  his  countrymen,  and  to  excite  the  vengeance 
of  those  he  called  her  oppressors.  Otis  affixed  his  name  boldly  to 
whatever  he  wrote;  before  this  time,  most  political  writings  had 
come  to  the  world  anonymously.  Others  followed'  the  example 
which  Otis  had  set  them,  and  wrote  over  their  own  names,  when  it 
was  thought  they  could  do  more  good  by  this  course,  than  by  taking 
an  assumed  name.  He  was  not  only  a  patriot,  but,  what  is  more 
to  my  immediate  purpose,  he  was  a  splendid  scholar,  and  wrote 
several  elementary  works,  and  works  of  taste.  His  talents,  his  mis- 
fortunes, his  death,  are  so  familiar  to  us  all,  that  I  will  not  stop  to 
recount  them. 

Samuel  Adams  was  the  contemporary  of  Otis,  born  only  three 
years  before  him,  but  formed  altogether  on  a  different  model. 
The  energy  of  Adams  was  equal  to  that  of  Otis,  but  it  was  united  to 
sanctity,  as  Otis's  was  to  passion.  Adams  gained  by  a  sage  demean- 
our, while  Otis  lost  by  openness  of  manner  and  freedom  of  remark. 
They  were  both  patriots,  and  brave  to  martyrdom ;  but  while  Otis 
rushed  upon  his  enemies  in  a  whirlwind,  trusting  to  his  powers  and 
to  his  impetuosity  for  success,  Adams  approached  with  caution,  and 
struck  with  guarded  certainty. 

Thomas  Hutchinson,  a  native  of  the  town  of  Boston,  was  at  this 
period  a  secret  opposer  of  these  patriots ;  with  declarations  of  love 
for  his  native  country,  he  was  holding  a  correspondence  with  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  91 

ministry,  and  encouraging  them  to  persevere  in  their  strong  mea- 
sures. He  had  been  an  idol  of  the  people,  and  they  were  unwilling 
to  give  him  up  at  once.  Feeling  himself  well  fixed  in  the  confi- 
dence of  men  in  power,  he  threw  off  the  mask,  and  boldly  met  his 
accusers.  He  was  a  man  of  learning  and  abilities,  and  possessed  a 
very  great  aptitude  for  all  kinds  of  public  business,  and  was  indus- 
trious in  all  its  details.  The  history  of  the  country  was  familiar  to 
him,  for  he  had  made  it  a  particular  study,  and  was  for  many  years 
employing  his  leisure  hours  in  writing  the  history  of  the  province 
of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  storm  burst  upon  his  head  when  he  was 
Lieutenant  Governor,  and  his  house  was  demolished  by  the  infuriated 
populace  :  but  he  was  not  easily  daunted.  The  ministry  came  to  his 
support,  and  raised  him  to  the  office  of  chief  magistrate.  His  cor- 
respondence with  the  government  in  England,  which  the  patriots 
considered  as  full  of  treachery  to  the  colonies,  was,  by  some  adroit- 
ness or  accident,  obtained,  and  it  was  impossible  for  any  one  to  with- 
stand the  effect.  The  populace,  the  legislature,  the  statesmen,  old  and 
young,  brought  their  indignation  to  bear  upon  him,  and  he  left  our 
-shores  for  England,  where  his  services  were  forgotten  ;  and  neglect 
and  a  broken  heart  awaited  him.  He  was  unquestionably  the  most 
efficient  man  the  royal  cause  could  boast  of  in  this  country,  at  that 
period.  For  his  history,  we  are  much  indebted  to  him.  This  will 
live,  when  his  political  course  will  only  be  remembered  as  a  common 
occurrence. 

The  late  President  Adams  was  another  of  the  distinguished 
writers,  in  the  days  preceding  the  revolution.  He  was  ardent  in  the 
cause  of  liberty,  but  he  never  "  run  with  bare-headed  debasement 
the  scrub  race  of  popularity."  He  was  of  counsel  for  Preston  and 
his  men,  in  1770,  and,  regardless  of  popular  clamour,  discharged  his 
duty  with  ability  and  firmness.  He  was  consistent,  unwavering,  and 
determined  from  the  first,  and  employed  his  pen  in  defence  of  the 
colonies  from  his  earliest  manhood.  He  was  engaged  in  contro- 
versy with  those  who  took  the  side  of  the  crown,  until  a  few  months 
previous  to  the  battle  of  Lexington.  He  wrote  over  the  signature 
"  NOVANGLUS,"  in  answer  to  one  who  had  taken  the  signature 
"  MASSACHTTTENSIS,"  and  whom  he  supposed  to  be  Jonathan  Sewall, 
then  attorney-general,  but  it  has  lately  been  stated,  on  the  authority 
of  Sampson  Salter  Blowers,  chief  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  Hali- 
fax, who,  with  Mr.  Adams,  was  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  Suffolk 
bar,  that  "  massackutensis"  was  written  by  Mr.  Leonard,  a  younger 
member  of  that  bar  than  either  Adams  or  Sewall,  and  after- 
wards a  judge  in  one  of  the  English  West  India  islands.  These 
were  able  papers  on  the  great  questions  then  before  the  people,  full 
of  striking  thoughts  and  plain  and  direct  arguments:  we  speak  thus 


98  LECTURES  ON 

freely  of  both  of  these  writers ;  they  managed  their  causes  well. 
Mr.  Adams  was,  at  all  times,  a  bold  straight-forward  writer,  and 
sometimes  was  quite  prophetick  in  his  conjectures. 

Among  the  writers  of  that  day,  no  man  was  more  conspicuous 
than  Doctor  Samuel  Cooper.  He  was  a  most  acceptable  preacher 
and  a  fine  scholar;  probably  more  refined  in  his  style  than  most  other 
writers  in  our  country;  but  he  did  not  confine  himself  to  religious 
subjects  alone.  He  saw  that  encroachments  on  civil  liberty  would 
reach,  in  no  distant  day,  the  liberty  of  conscience,  and  hierarchies 
would  grow  up  when  the  elective  franchise  had  become  a  nullity. 
His  polished  style  had  reached  Paris,  and  his  fame  as  a  fine  writer 
was  among  the  first  circles  of  taste  and  fashion.  He  was  a  friend  to 
learning,  and  was  a  member  of  the  corporation  of  Harvard  College ; 
but  he  did  not  content  himself,  on  the  score  of  duty,  with  college  halls 
or  religious  temples,  but  threw  out  the  strong  emotions  of  his  clear 
mind  into  the  political  excitements  of  the  day.  He  wrote  frequently 
in  the  publick  journals,  particularly  in  the  Boston  Gazette,  on  all  the 
current  topicks  of  the  day.  These  pieces  of  composition  were  remark- 
able for  perspicuity  and  elegance ;  and  the  good  people  were  look- 
ing out  as  each  paper  came  from  the  press,  for  something  from  his 
pen,  as  a  charm  and  a  guide.  He  wrote  a  pamphlet  called  "  tJie 
Crisis"  which  contained  a  great  share  of  neat  and  forcible  argu- 
ment, but  is  not  equal  to  many  of  his  other  compositions.  All  his 
works  have  a  political  bearing,  or,  at  least,  a  great  portion  of  them. 
The  most  popular  works  of  Doctor  Cooper,  were  the  following  dis- 
courses :  on  the  Artillery  election,  1751 ;  and  in  1753,  an  address  for 
encouraging  industry ;  this  contained  the  true  principles  of  political 
economy  ;  that  is,  for  the  rich  to  study  to  find  work  for  the  poor  as 
a  preventive  of  further  distress ;  and  many  others,  upon  occasional 
subjects,  were  printed  by  his  friends,  as  he  delivered  them  before  the 
several  societies  which  called  his  talents  to  their  aid.  A  sermon  on 
the  reduction  of  Quebec,  was  a  very  popular  discourse  in  this 
country  and  in  England ;  and  one  on  the  commencement  of  the 
new  constitution  of  Massachusetts,  October  25th,  1780,  was  thought, 
by  statesmen,  to  be  a  very  correct  exposition  of  the  great  doctrines 
of  a  free  government.  This  political  discourse  was  translated  into 
the  French  and  German  languages,  and  perhaps  many  others.  It 
was  no  less  admired  for  its  bold  and  generous  principles,  than  for  its 
polished  style  and  elegant  composition.  It  was  sent  through, 
Europe,  as  at  once  a  specimen  of  the  mode  of  thinking  and  writing 
in  the  American  states.  One  of  his  great  maxims  was,  that  know- 
ledge and  virtue  are  the  pillars  of  a  free  government ;  and  these 
were  only  to  be  had  and  supported  by  institutions  of  learning  and 
religion :  he  was  therefore  foremost  in  raising  and  in  supporting  se- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  93 

minaries  of  letters,  arts,  and  sciences  in  the  country  ;  and  the  Ame- 
rican Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  was  honoured  by  his  being 
elected  the  first  president  of  that  body.  The  political  influence  of  such 
a  man  is  noiseless,  but  effective.  The  truths  he  teaches  steal  into  the 
minds  of  the  reading  part  of  the  community,  and  are  transmitted 
with  theirs  to  less  enlightened  minds,  and  so  on.  as  far  as  any  think 
or  reason  at  all  upon  such  matters.  The  letters,  the  reasoning,  the 
current  of  feeling  in  his  extensive  circle,  for  several  years  after  Dr. 
Cooper  wrote,  bore  marks  of  his  works  having  been  text-books  and 
standards  all  around  him. 

Among  the  distinguished  political  writers  of  that  day,  as  well  as  a 
great  Fanuiel  Hall  orator,  was  Josiah  Quincy.  He  had  graduated 
in  1763,  with  a  splendid  reputation  for  his  early  years.  A  reputa- 
tion, at  his  period  of  life,  is  so  full  of  promise,  that  in  many  cases  it 
falls  short  of  the  ardent  hopes  of  friends,  and  often  disappoints  the 
calculations  of  the  community ;  but  it  was  not  so  with  Mr.  Quincy ; 
his  fame  increased  until  his  death,  in  1775.  At  the  bar  he  was  con- 
spicuous, yielding  to  none  in  fluency  and  energy ;  his  voice  and 
person  were  much  in  his  favour,  and  his  fearless  course  of  indepen- 
dence, with  or  against  the  current  of  popular  feeling,  gave  him  the 
confidence  of  all  sides.  Never  was  there  a  more  ardent  or  inflexible 
whig  than  Mr.  Quincy.  He  was  not  content  with  raising  his  voice 
in  the  primary  assemblies  of  the  people,  but  took  up  his  pen  to  assist 
them  in  giving  their  complaints  to  the  world.  The  Boston  Port- 
bill,  an  act  of  parliament  to  punish  the  people  of  Boston  for  destroy- 
ing the  tea,  and  other  acts  of  a  rebellious  nature,  as  they  were  con- 
sidered by  the  British  ministry,  made  its  appearance  in  1774,  in  this 
country,  and  the  port  of  Boston  was  shut  up  in  obedience  to  it.  This 
was  a  violent  measure,  and  raised  a  clamour  through  the  country.  Mr. 
Quincy  seized  the  opportunity,  and  wrote  a  review  of  this  measure, 
entitled,  "  Thoughts  on  the  Boston  Port-bill,  &c.  addressed  to  the 
freeholders  and  yeomanry  of  Massachusetts."  This  was  well  writ- 
ten for  the  times  ;  a  tame  discussion  would  not  have  met  the  exigen- 
cies of  that  day.  He  closes  the  notice  with  these  bold  remarks,  evi- 
dently emanating  from  a  mind  made  up  to  meet  the  coming  crisis, 
however  bloody  or  lasting.  "  America  has  her  Bruti  and  Cassii,  her 
Hambdens  and  Sidneys,  patriots  and  heroes,  who  will  form  a  band 
of  brothers ;  men  who  will  have  memories  and  feelings,  courage 
that  shall  inflame  their  ardent  bosoms,  till  their  hands  cleave  to  their 
swords,  and  their  swords  to  their  enemies  hearts." 

The  publick  had  so  long  been  in  training  for  the  evil  times  which 
came  upon  them,  that  every  one  was  thoroughly  prepared  for  all  the 
difficulties  which  he  had  to  encounter.  From  1761  to  1775,  know- 
ledge was  disseminated,  feelings  were  communicated,  and  mutual 


94  LECTURES  ON 

pledges,  in  the  best  of  all  forms,  that  of  general  sympathy  and  simi- 
larity of  opinions,  were  given.  There  were  no  discordant  notes  in 
the  concert;  all  were  in  tune  to  any  master  hand  that  struck  the 
chords. 

The  massacre,  as  the  death  of  those  who  fell  on  the  5th  of 
March,  1770,  by  the  firing  on  the  inhabitants  of  Boston,  by  a  pla- 
toon of  Captain  Preston's  company,  has  ever  been  called,  was 
made  an  admirable  cause  to  rouse  the  people  to  arms,  or  rather 
to  prepare  them  to  resist  further  aggressions.  It  is  a  law  of  nature, 
that  the  blood  of  unarmed  citizens  should  cry  from  the  ground  for 
vengeance.  It  is  a  voice  that  ages  cannot  stifle.  The  patriot  lead- 
ers, at  that  time,  restrained  the  sudden  vengeance  of  the  people,  but 
still  kept  alive  the  feelings  of  a  just  resentment,  with  great  address. 
On  the  5th  of  March,  1771,  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  Boston 
assembled  to  mourn  the  fate  of  those  who  had  fallen  the  preceding 
year.  It  was  then  thought  by  some,  that  an  oration  should  be  deli- 
vered on  the  occasion,  and  James  Lovell,  A.  M.,  a  much  respected 
grammar  schoolmaster,  renowned  for  his  learning  and  eloquence,  a 
very  decided  whig,  was  selected  for  the  task ;  and,  on  the  9th  of 
April,  1771,  the  next  month,  he  was  ready,  and  delivered  his  ora- 
tion on  the  massacre.  This  address  was  a  serious  political  disser- 
tation upon  the  rights,  duties,  and  feelings  of  the  American  people. 

The  next  year,  on  the  5th  of  March,  1772,  Dr.  Joseph  Warren  was 
selected  as  the  orator.  He  explained,  in  his  oration,  the  nature  of 
the  social  compact,  spoke  of  the  struggles  Britain  herself  had  made 
for  liberty,  and  of  the  excellence  of  the  British  constitution,  of  which 
he  considered  that  of  Massachusetts,  and,  in  fact,  that  of  all  the  colo- 
nies, a  copy.  He  proceeded  to  try  the  acts  of  Britain  by  her  own 
constitution,  and  found  them  wanting  in  justice  and  law.  The  ruin- 
ous consequences  of  standing  armies  were  dwelt  upon  with  great 
severity  and  openness.  The  tragedy  of  that  fatal  night  was  depicted 
in  glowing  colours,  and  managed  with  a  master's  skill.  The  appeal 
to  his  countrymen,  in  this  address,  was  received  as  a  hallowed  burst 
of  feeling  from  a  patriot's  heart,  which  reached  every  pulse  in  the 
hearts  of  his  hearers. 

In  1773,  Dr.  Benjamin  Church,  a  physician  in  Boston,  a  gentle- 
man distinguished  for  his  learning,  talents,  and,  at  that  time,  for  pa- 
triotism, was  selected  as  orator  for  the  anniversary  of  the  5th  of 
March.  His  oration  was  written  in  a  fine  style,  and  was  a  good 
commentary  upon  the  great  doctrines  of  liberty.  In  this  produc- 
tion, Junius  is  quoted  as  an  authority,  for  the  first  time  I  ever  remem- 
ber to  have  seen  his  name  in  a  solemn  address.  Church  was  a  poet, 
and  closes  his  oration,  after  a  pathetic  burst  of  eloquence  upon  the 
"  foul  deed"  of  a  standing  army,  done  in  a  time  of  peace,  upon  a 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  95 

defenceless  populace,  in  the  following  lines,  which  were  undoubtedly 
his  own  : 

K 


"Thou  who  yon  bloody  walk  shalt  traverse,  there 
Where  troops  of  .Britain's  king  on  Britain's  sons 
Discharg'd  the  leaden  vengeance  :  pass  not  on 
Ere  thou  hast  blest  their  memory,  and  paid 
Those  hallowed  tears  which  soothe  the  virtuous  dead  : 
O  ati  anger  !  stay  thee,  and  the  scene  around 
Contemplate  well  ;  and  if,  perchance,  thy  home 
Salute  thee  with  a  father's  honour'd  name, 
Go  call  thy  sons  —  instruct  them  what  a  debt 
They  owe  their  ancestors,  and  make  them  swear 
To  pay  it,  by  transmitting  down  entire 
Those  sacred  rights,  to  which  themselves  were  born." 

In  1774,  John  Hancock  was  appointed  orator  for  the  5th  of  March. 
This  oration  has  been  much  read  and  admired  ;  it  was  impassioned 
in  the  parts  relating  to  the  events  of  that  particular  day  ;  but  less 
florid  and  swelling  than  some  others  on  the  occasion. 

In  1775,  Joseph  Warren  was,  for  the  second  time,  the  orator.  He 
wrote  with  the  fire  of  genius  and  the  boldness  of  a  hero.  The  pa- 
pers had  teemed  with  writings  which  were  easily  traced  by  his  ene- 
mies to  him,  for  they  contained  a  spirit  which  could  not  be  mistaken. 
This  last  oration  was  the  knell  of  his  own  obsequies,  for  hi  a  few 
months  he  was  slain  hi  supporting  the  doctrines  he,  on  this  5th  of 
March,  promulgated  to  his  countrymen.  The  martyr's  blood  sealed 
the  patriot's  sincerity  ;  and  the  soil  that  drank  the  stream  of  life, 
grows  holier  with  every  passing  age.  There  was  something  in  this 
second  appointment,  that  deserves  commemoration.  It  was  at  his 
own  solicitation  that  he  was  appointed  to  this  duty  a  second  time. 
The  fact  is  illustrative  of  his  character.  Some  British  officers  of  the 
army,  then  in  Boston,  had  publickly  declared,  that  it  should  be  at 
the  price  of  the  life  of  any  man  to  speak  of  the  event  of  the  5th  of 
March,  1770,  on  that  anniversary.  Warren's  soul  took  fire  at  such 
a  threat,  so  openly  made,  and  he  wished  for  the  honour  of  braving 
it.  This  was  readily  granted,  for,  at  such  a  time,  a  man  would  pro- 
bably find  but  few  rivals.  Many,  who  would  spurn  the  thought  of 
personal  fear,  might  be  apprehensive  that  they  would  be  so  far  dis- 
concerted as  to  forget  their  discourse.  It  is  easier  to  fight  bravely, 
than  to  think  clearly  and  correctly  in  danger.  Passion  sometimes 
nerves  the  arm  to  fight,  but  disturbs  the  regular  current  of  thought 
The  day  came,  and  the  weather  was  remarkably  fine.  The  old 
south  meeting-house  was  crowded  at  an  early  hour.  The  British 
occupied  the  aisles,  the  flight  of  steps  to  the  pulpit,  and 


96  LECTURES  ON 

several  of  them  were  within  it.  It  was  not  precisely  known,  whe- 
ther this  was  accident  or  design.  The  orator,  with  the  assistance  of 
his  friends,  made  his  entrance  at  the  pulpit  window  by  a  ladder. 
The  officers,  seeing  his  coolness  and  intrepidity,  made  way  for  him 
to  advance  and  address  the  audience.  An  awful  stillness  preceded 
his  exordium.  Each  man  felt  the  palpitations  of  his  own  heart,  and 
saw  the  pale,  but  determined,  face  of  his  neighbour.  The  speaker 
began  his  oration  in  a  firm  tone  of  voice,  and  proceeded  with  great 
energy  and  pathos.  Warren  and  his  friends  were  prepared  to  chas- 
tise contumely,  prevent  disgrace,  and  avenge  an  attempt  at  assassi- 
nation. The  scene  was  sublime  ;  a  patriot,  in  whom  the  flush  of 
youth,  and  the  grace  and  dignity  of  manhood  were  combined,  stood 
armed  in  the  sanctuary  of  God,  to  animate  and  encourage  the  sons 
of  liberty,  and  to  hurl  defiance  at  their  oppressors.  The  orator 
commenced  with  the  early  history  of  the  country,  described  the  te- 
nure by  which  we  held  our  liberties  and  property ;  the  affection  we 
had  constantly  shown  the  parent  country,  and  boldly  told  them 
how,  and  by  whom,  these  blessings  of  life  had  been  violated.  There 
was,  in  this  appeal  to  Britain,  in  this  description  of  suffering,  agony, 
and  horror,  a  calm  and  high-souled  defiance,  which  must  have  chil- 
led the  blood  of  every  sensible  foe.  Such  another  hour  has  seldom 
happened  in  the  history  of  man,  and  is  not  surpassed  in  the  records 
of  nations.  The  thunders  of  Demosthenes  rolled  at  a  distance  from 
Philip  and  his  host,  and  Tully  poured  the  fiercest  torrent  of  his  in- 
vective, when  Cataline  was  at  a  distance,  and  his  dagger  no  longer  to 
be  feared  ;  but  Warren's  speech  was  made  to  proud  oppressors,  rest- 
ing on  their  arms,  whose  errand  it  was  to  overawe,  and  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  fight. 

If  the  deed  of  Brutus  deserved  to  be  commemorated  by  history, 
poetry,  painting,  and  sculpture,  should  not  this  instance  of  patriot- 
ism and  bravery  be  held  in  lasting  remembrance  ?  If  he  "  that 
struck  the  foremost  man  of  all  this  world,"  was  hailed  as  the  first  of 
freemen,  what  honours  are  not  due  to  him,  who,  undismayed, 
bearded  the  British  lion,  to  show  the  world  what  his  countrymen 
dared  to  do  in  the  cause  of  liberty  ?  If  the  statue  of  Brutus  was 
placed  amongst  those  of  the  gods,  who  were  the  preservers  of  Ro- 
man freedom,  should  not  that  of  Warren  fill  a  lofty  niche  in  the 
temple  reared  to  perpetuate  the  remembrance  of  our  birth  as  a 
nation  ? 

In  1776,  the  anniversary  of  the  massacre  was  kept  at  Watertown, 
Boston  being  then  in  the  almost  exclusive  possession  of  the  British. 
The  Rev.  Peter  Thatcher  was  the  orator.  The  same  subject  natu- 
rally led  to  the  consideration  and  discussion  of  the  same  general 
principles.  The  times  and  the  events  of  the  day,  provided  the  ora- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  97 

tor  with  some  additional  topicks,  and  he  happily  introduced  the  fate 
of  Warren  and  Montgomery,  whose  premature  deaths  were  mourn- 
ed by  all  classes  of  people  in  the  country,  as  those  who  were  near 
and  dear  to  liberty  and  to  them.  The  people  of  Boston  kept  up  the 
practice  of  noticing  this  anniversary  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and 
then  it  was  discontinued,  and  the  celebration  of  the  fourth  of  July 
succeeded.  In  1778,  Benjamin  Hitchborn,  Esq.  was  orator,  and 
Jonathan  Loring  Austin,  William  Tudor,  Esq.,  Jonathan  Mason,  Jun., 
Thomas  Dawes,  Jun.,  George  Richards  Minot,  and  Dr.  Thomas 
Welsh,  were  called  to  address  the  public  on  this  occasion,  in  succes- 
sion. All  these  productions  breathed  the  same  spirit,  and  made  the 
same  pledges  to  the  world  to  support  them  j  and  they  spoke  the  lan- 
guage of  the  great  mass  of  the  people.  I  have  mentioned  these 
orations  particularly,  as  showing  the  subjects  of  a  nation's  thoughts, 
and  the  literary  form  in  which  they  were  spoken. 

In  other  colonies,  at  the  same  time,  the  same  spirit  was  awake,  and 
information  was  diffused  in  every  form  by  which  intelligence  is  com- 
municated. In  1764,  John  Dickinson,  a  member  of  the  assembly  of 
Pennsylvania,  made  an  impression  upon  the  publick  as  a  patriot  of 
distinguished  talents.  In  November  of  1767,  he  began  to  publish 
his  letters  against  the  acts  of  the  British  parliament,  laying  duties  on 
paper,  glass,  and  other  necessaries  of  life.  They  were  written  in  a 
bold  and  dauntless  spirit.  He  was  no  leveller,  but  a  loyal  subject, 
who  considered  it  his  right  to  discuss  these  great  matters  at  all 
times.  These  letters  were  at  that  tune  read  by  all  classes  in  the 
community,  and  were  quoted  as  being  the  true  sentiments  of  the 
great  mass  of  the  thinking  people  in  America.  He  was  a  member 
of  congress  in  1774,  and  was  the  author  of  that  petition  of  congress 
to  the  king,  which  breathes  so  loyal  and  yet  so  firm  a  spirit,  and 
which  extorted  praise  from  the  lips  of  our  enemies,  and  warm  con- 
gratulations from  our  friends.  When  the  proposition  was  before 
congress  for  the  declaration  of  our  independence,  Dickinson  was 
opposed  to  it,  and  made  a  long  and  powerful  speech  against  it,  as  a 
premature  measure,  inasmuch  as  we  were  not  prepared  for  it ;  and 
that  the  hope  of  reconciliation  was  not  extinct.  His  argument  was 
a  manly  one,  and  did  not  impair  his  reputation  any  farther  than 
this,  that  his  constituents  were  not  of  the  same  opinion,  and  did 
not  re-elect  him  until  they  were  satisfied  that  he  would  act 
generally  with  those  who  advocated  the  declaration  of  indepen- 
dence. When  Mr.  Dickinson  was  fully  convinced,  that  a  large  ma- 
jority of  the  people  were  willing  to  risk  all  on  the  question  of  inde- 
pendence, he  came  into  it  cordially.  He  was  president  of  Pennsyl- 
vania from  November,  1783,  to  1785.  He  afterwards  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Delaware,  his  native  state,  and  was  sent  from  there 
I  13 


06  LECTURES  ON 

to  congress  under  the  old  confederation.  He  was  a  republican, 
firmly  attached  to  his  country,  and  laboured  heartily  for  her  wel- 
fare. He  was  powerful  in  argument,  bland  in  manners,  rich  in 
learning,  and  happy  in  his  taste  as  a  writer  on  almost  every  passing 
matter,  as  well  as  of  a  more  profound  nature.  His  works  have 
been  published,  in  two  volumes,  and  should  be  more  often  referred 
to  than  they  are  by  the  present  generation.  He  was  equally  a  fa- 
vourite with  his  native  and  with  his  adopted  state.  Even  in  the  vio- 
lence of  party,  his  sincerity  was  never  questioned. 

Daniel  Galloway,  Esq.  was  a  native  of  the  same  state,  and  was 
also  a  member  of  congress  from  Pennsylvania  in  1776,  and  was  op- 
posed altogether  to  the  declaration  of  independence.  He  was  a 
writer  of  respectable  talents,  and,  after  fully  ascertaining  what  the 
people,  and  their  representatives  in  congress,  intended,  he  differed 
with  them  entirely,  and  wrote  on  the  British  side  of  the  question, 
and,  after  a  while,  left  Philadelphia  to  join  our  enemies.  At  that 
time,  it  must  have  been  very  unpopular  to  have  said  a  word  on  the 
side  of  our  opposers ;  and  Mr.  Galloway  must  have  been  a  man  of 
high  moral  integrity  to  have  got  off  with  so  little  abuse  as  he  re- 
ceived. But  his  fate  was  an  unfortunate  one,  for  he  left  us  from 
principle,  but  was  treated  with  great  rudeness  and  severity  by  the 
ministry  of  England. 

Another  writer  on  the  other  side  of  the  question,  who  claims  our 
attention  and  gratitude,  was  William  Henry  Drayton,  of  South 
Carolina.  He  exerted  his  literary  acquirements  and  talents  in  the 
cause  of  his  country.  In  1774,  he  was  the  author  of  a  pamphlet 
addressed  to  the  American  Congress,  signed  "  A  Freeman."  In 
1776,  in  his  judicial  capacity,  he  made  a  charge  to  a  grand  jury, 
which  contained  a  full  and  fair  view  of  the  situation  of  our  country 
at  that  time,  and  the  duties  devolving  on  every  citizen  who  laid  any 
claims  to  love  of  country.  The  whole  of  this  charge  has  been  pre- 
served by  Dr.  Ramsay  in  his  historical  works.  This  able  and 
valuable  statesman  and  patriot  died  while  attending  his  duties  as  a 
member  of  congress,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1779,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-seven.  He  was  truly  a  great  man,  and  his  death  was  deeply 
deplored  in  every  part  of  the  country. 

New- York  and  New-Jersey  were  happy  in  having  a  share  in  the 
fame  of  William  Livingston,  governor  of  the  latter  state,  but  a  na- 
tive of  the  former,  and  a  writer  and  politician  of  distinction  before 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  New-Jersey.  Livingston  was  an  elegant 
scholar,  and  wrote  with  great  pungency  and  effect  in  those  times, 
in  which  every  form  of  argument  was  required  to  rouse  the  spirit 
of  the  people,  to  discharge  their  awful  responsibilities.  The  effect 
of  his  exertions  were  seen  in  the  good  conduct  of  the  Jersey  mill- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  99 

tia,  in  the  most  perilous  moments  of  the  revolutionary  war,  when 
their  territory  was  overrun  by  the  enemy,  and  despondency  was 
extending  her  paralyzing  influences  over  the  whole  country,  from 
Georgia  to  Maine. 

Maryland  produced,  among  her  numerous  patriots  and  writers, 
one  who  was  very  celebrated  at  the  time,  in  Daniel  Dulany,  Esq.,  a 
writer  on  political  subjects ;  and  he  has  had  the  credit  of  having 
done  much  good.  He  was  a  lawyer  of  Annapolis,  and  distinguished 
at  the  Maryland  bar. 

Virginia  had  her  share  of  writers  previous  to  the  revolution,  al- 
though she  did  not  for  some  time  feel  much  of  the  arbitrary  power 
of  Great  Britain.  Thomas  Jefferson,  when  quite  a  young  man,  wrote 
upon  the  great  questions  then  agitated,  but  his  whole  history  is  so 
well  known  that  it  would  be  useless  to  restate  it.  Richard  Bland, 
Arthur  Lee,  and  Robert  Carter  Nicholas,  were  also  known  as  writers 
on  the  popular  side  of  the  question  in  Virginia.  Bland  was  a  dis- 
tinguished member  of  the  house  of  burgesses,  in  1776,  and  at  that 
time  published  an  inquiry  into  the  rights  of  the  British  colonies  in 
America,  in  answer  to  a  pamphlet  published  in  London  in  the  pre- 
ceding year,  entitled  "  regulations  lately  made  concerning  the  colo- 
lonies,  and  the  taxes  imposed  on  them  considered."  Arthur  Lee 
wrote,  in  1769,  "  the  monitor's  letters,"  which  were  extensively  read, 
not  only  in  Virginia,  but  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  There  were 
others  of  note  and  worth  who  wielded  their  pens  in  the  great  cause 
of  American  freedom,  whom  we  have  not  had  time  to  mention,  par- 
ticularly many  of  the  clergymen,  who  were  then  in  active  life,  such 
as  Witherspoon,  Webster,  and  a  host  of  good  patriots,  who  mingled 
their  ardent  wishes  for  their  country  with  their  morning  and  even- 
ing prayers  to  heaven  for  salvation.  While  the  statesman  called 
upon  his  countrymen  from  the  halls  of  legislation,  to  come  forward 
and  act  valiantly,  the  zealous  clergyman  entered  the  citizen's  dwell- 
ing, preached  a  homily  on  the  duties  of  a  patriot  before  the  fire-side 
and  at  the  family  altar,  and  roused  father  and  son  to  gird  on  their 
swords  and  march  for  the  defence  of  their  country ;  and  not  un- 
frequently,  when  his  flock  were  ready  for  the  field,  joined  them 
himself  with  Hie  sword  of  Gideon  and  the  Lord,  to  encourage  their 
hearts  and  strengthen  their  hands. 

During  all  these  preparations  for  the  coming  conflict,  the  subject 
of  education  was  more  attended  to  than  ever  it  had  been.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  common  course  of  instruction,  the  Oriental  languages, 
which  are  now  opening  their  inexhaustible  treasures  of  learning  to 
the  world,  were  assiduously  cultivated.  After  the  resignation  of 
Morris,  as  Hebrew  instucter  in  Harvard  University,  a  professorship 
of  Oriental  Literature  was  established  by  the  munificence  of  Thomas 


100  LECTURES  ON 

Hancock,  uncle  to  John  Hancock,  the  patriot,  and  Stephen  Sewall, 
was  selected  for  the  Oriental  chair.  He  was  indeed  well  qualified 
for  the  office,  being  probably  the  best  linguist  of  his  age.  He  was 
bred  a  mechanick,  a  house-joiner,  until  he  was  one  and  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  was  distinguished  for  his  skill  in  his  trade.  He  had  been 
fond  of  books,  and  had  made  many  curious  philological  researches 
that  attracted  the  attention  of  a  learned  divine  in  his  vicinity,  who 
gave  him  every  aid  in  his  power.  The  pupil  made  the  most  rapid 
advances  in  the  languages,  and  studied  them  so  deeply  and  carefully, 
that  he  became  unquestionably  the  first  critick  of  his  time  in  this 
country.  He  wrote  Greek  odes,  which  were  noticed  in  England. 
He  went  perhaps  as  learnedly  into  the  philosophical  constitution  of 
that  beautiful  language  as  Porson  and  Parr  have  since  done.  He 
pursued  his  philological  studies  farther,  and  made  himself  master  of 
the  Syriack,  Arabick,  Chaldee,  Samaritan,  Ethiopick,  Persiack,  and 
Coptick.  He  left  some  accurate  notes  on  all  these  languages  in  his 
lectures,  and  made  many  remarks  on  them  in  a  correspondence 
held  with  the  learned  Orientalists  in  Europe,  which  received  from 
these  professors  the  highest  commendations.  He  made  a  lexicon  of 
some  of  these  languages,  and  translated  a  part  of  Young's  Night 
Thoughts  into  Latin  hexameter.  It  was  in  no  small  degree  owing 
to  this  fine  classical  scholar  that  Hebrew  retained  its  rank  among 
the  languages,  when  the  spirit  of  modern  philosophy  strove  to  banish 
it  from  the  dignity  of  those  languages  worthy  the  attention  of  a 
learned  man.  The  day  of  proscription  has  passed  ;  the  inquiring 
mind  has  found  some  of  the  richest  gems  of  thought,  some  of  the 
loveliest  flowers  of  poetry,  and  many  touches  of  a  profound  philo- 
sophy, in  the  immense  fields  of  eastern  literature,  through  which 
the  scholars  of  the  present  day  are  travelling  with  inexpressible 
pleasure. 

For  many  years  previous  to  the  revolution,  the  science  of  govern- 
ment and  the  rights  of  man  were  subjects  of  discussion  at  Harvard 
University,  in  every  form  of  their  literary  exercises,  from  dialogues 
to  orations,  not  only  on  quarter-days  and  commencements,  but  at 
all  other  times.  The  students  examined  all  the  principles  of  politi- 
cal and  civil  liberty  of  the  ancient  republicks,  and  were  well  read  in 
the  English  constitution,  and  also  in  that  of  the  United  Provinces  of 
the  Netherlands ;  and  the  forms  of  liberty  in  the  Italian  cities,  such 
as  had  boasted  of  their  freedom  in  modern  days,  were  commented 
upon  with  the  spirit  of  reformers ;  the  right  to  resist  oppression  was 
often  taken  as  a  theme  for  declamation,  and  the  loudest  applause  was 
bestowed  on  the  boldest  of  the  advocates  for  the  doctrine.  I  name 
not  this  fact  as  wishing  to  consider  them  as  models  for  the  student 
at  the  present  day :  the  present  times  demand  other  directions  of 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  101 

the  human  mind,  but  simply  to  show  how  intimately  our  literature 
and  national  existence  have  been  connected. 

It  was  a  mutual  and  most  felicitous  thought,  to  call  the  learned 
men  of  all  times  and  nations  a  Republick  of  Letters ;  for  with  them, 
in  every  age,  have  been  found  the  true  doctrines  of  political  liberty 
and  the  seeds  of  civil  institutions.  The  learned,  as  a  body,  have  fa- 
voured freedom  of  opinion,  and  the  sacred  rights  of  man,  even  in  the 
courts  of  tyrants,  and  in  the  faces  of  their  creatures.  The  learned 
priests  of  Egypt  wrested  from  their  kings  rights  for  themselves,  and 
protection  for  the  people.  In  the  walks  of  the  academy  and  the 
halls  of  science,  the  mind  threw  off  its  shackles ;  and  in  the  con- 
templation of  the  laws  of  nature,  and  of  the  moral  world,  and  in  the 
pursuit  of  science  and  the  arts,  it  lost  its  reverence  for  hereditary 
claims  to  eminence,  and  looked  directly  with  a  philosophical  eye 
to  the  fitness  of  things,  thoughtless  of  arbitrary  distinctions  among 
men.  In  a  community  where  the  operations  of  the  mind  may  be 
watched  in  its  advancements  in  knowledge,  those  cast  by  nature  in 
a  superiour  mould  will  attract  the  attention  and  receive  that  homage 
which  in  some  form  or  other  genius  will  for  ever  secure.  The  in- 
stitutions of  learning  in  our  country  had,  it  is  true,  some  of  the 
forms  and  shows  of  the  relicks  of  aristocracy,  hi  the  arrangements  of 
their  catalogues,  or  some  trifling  ceremonies ;  but  there  never  ex- 
isted purer  fountains  of  political  justice,  and  true  equality,  than 
were  to  be  found  in  them.  The  right  once  established  to  judge  of 
religious  doctrines,  of  reasoning  upon  human,  angelick,  and  divine 
natures,  embraces  in  it  the  right  of  judging  upon  the  political,  civil, 
and  moral  conduct  of  men,  in,  or  out  of  power.  The  student,  sur- 
rounded by  the  lights  of  mind  which  had  illumined  the  world  in 
every  age,  and  holding,  every  day,  converse,  through  their  works, 
with  the  mighty  dead,  felt  no  great  respect  or  reverence  for  empty- 
headed  vanity,  or  ignorant  pride,  however  bloated  by  consequence,  or 
elated  by  the  possession  of  power;  for  he  knew  that,  at  best,  for  him 
who  possessed  it,  power  could  not  be  permanent,  or  with  us  heredi- 
tary ;  he  therefore  saw,  as  he  looked  forward  into  his  country's  his- 
tory, one  generation  of  little  oppressors  pass  off  after  another,  as  in- 
sects of  a  day,  or  creatures  of  a  moment.  If  all  the  scholar  felt  could 
not  have  been  fully  communicated  to  his  fellow  actors  as  he  entered  into 
life,  yet  sufficient  of  his  spirit  might  have  been  diffused  to  have  given 
a  similarity  to  the  feelings  and  reasonings  of  others,  and  to  have  pre- 
pared the  community  to  reason  and  think  for  themselves  on  all  subjects 
involving  their  rights  and  privileges.  Every  educated  man  who  had 
left  these  walks  of  learning,  became  a  Hierophant  of  liberty  among 
the  people,  and  taught  them,  at  once,  the  means  and  the  blessings  of 
freedom.  The  love  of  freedom  with  them  was  no  phosphorick  light 
12 


103  LECTURES  ON 

or  flickering  blaze  from  putrescent  masses,  or  occasional  ignition, 
but  a  steady  flame,  which  burnt  like  the  sacred  fire  on  the  altars  of 
Greece,  in  the  temple  of  liberty,  or  that  holier  flame  of  the  lamp  of 
God  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  which  burnt  day  and  night  to  keep 
the  hallowed  fane  from  darkness  and  pollution.  The  liberty  they 
asked  was  only  British  liberty,  such  as  the  people  of  England  en- 
joyed, and  still  enjoy :  that  they  should  be  taxed  by  their  own  re- 
presentatives, and  by  none  others. 


LECTURE   VII. 


"  The  true  patriot  is  found  in  all  classes  of  men ;  his  name  is  sacred,  his  deeds 
are  glorious ;  he  is  not  seduced  by  honours  or  rewards ;  he  is  above  all  bribes; 
he  is  destitute  of  all  selfishness  ;  he  is  ready  to  pour  out  his  blood  as  water  for 
his  country's  good ;  he  labours  for  great  ends  by  honest  means ;  he  fears  luxu- 
ry as  a  national  evil ;  he  dreads  parsimony  as  a  national  curse ;  he  thinks  no 
man  lives  for  himself  alone  ;  he  subdues  his  pride,  and  bumbles  his  sense  of 
importance,  by  thinking  how  short  is  human  life ;  he  represses  his  vanity  by 
knowing  how  many  are  his  superiours ;  he  feels  rightly ;  thinks  correctly ; 
judges  candidly ;  acts  wisely ;  hopes  humbly ;  and  dies  in  the  full  assurance  of 
immortality — favoured  by  men,  or  if  not  that,  beloved  by  God." 

The  Patriots  Manual. 

DURING  the  long  agony  of  our  revolutionary  conflict,  our  small  se- 
minaries of  learning  were  generally  closed,  and  the  course  of  in- 
struction in  colleges  and  high  schools  was  interrupted ;  yet  the  minds 
of  the  people  were  never  more  active.  Every  publick  square  and 
every  private  dwelling,  were  places  of  discussion,  and  of  inquiry  into 
the  general  principles  of  liberty  of  thinking,  and  acting.  The 
fervour  of  passion  had  passed  away;  and  that  cool  determination 
succeeded,  which  denotes  a  firmness  of  purpose,  and  which  is  not  to 
be  shaken,  and  that  high  resolve  which  nothing  can  break  down. 
The  publick  documents  of  that  day,  fully  show  this  calm  and  quiet 
temper,  for  in  them  there  is  nothing  spiteful,  irritable,  or  feverish. 
A  careless  observer  might  think  that  the  hearts  of  the  people  were 
not  in  this  cause,  all  things  were  conducted  with  such  serenity.  It 
is  a  fact  worthy  of  notice,  that  on  the  17th  of  June,  1775,  the  pro- 
vincial congress  of  Massachusetts  was  in  session  at  Watertown,  not 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  103 

more  than  six  miles,  if  so  much,  from  Charlestown  heights ;  yet 
their  records  show  that  they  were  busy  throughout  that  eventful 
day,  in  their  deliberations.  Notwithstanding  the  incessant  roar  of 
musketry  and  cannon,  and  the  awful  conflagration  of  Charlestown, 
the  dwellings  of  their  friends  and  neighbours,  yet  not  a  man  left  his 
seat  j  and  the  journal  of  their  proceedings  on  that  day  is  very  full, 
and  marked  with  precision  and  fine  chirography.  Not  the  slightest 
allusion  is  to  be  found  on  these  records,  to  the  alarm  of  the  neigh- 
bourliood,  or  the  possibility  of  defeat  in  the  contest  It  was  not 
until  three  days  after  the  fight,  that  even  the  probability  of  the  death 
of  their  President,  General  Warren,  was  suggested,  and  that  only  on 
a  motion  to  proceed  to  the  choice  of  another,  to  fill  his  place.  These 
conscript  fathers  would  not  give  the  people  any  intimation  that 
they  would  shrink  from  personal  danger,  while  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties  as  statesmen.  Their  first  account  of  this  event  is  pre- 
pared with  great  deliberation ;  not  a  word  of  boasting  is  contained 
in  it,  nor  is  there  even  a  just  account  of  American  bravery  to  be 
found  in  it.  In  fact,  they  were  not  apprised  of  the  honour  of  that 
fight,  at  that  time.  The  language  of  the  continental  congress  also, 
at  that  time,  is  full  of  the  same  modesty,  which  the  enemy  took  for 
timidity  and  fear.  The  addresses  which  came  from  this  body  were 
not  tinctured  with  the  slightest  boasting,  even  when  arguing  with 
friends  or  foes.  They  made  no  flattering  appeal  to  the  people  they 
wished  to  arouse  to  action,  and  prepare  for  disasters  and  blood-shed, 
in  every  form  of  attack,  from  their  enemies. 

The  petitions  and  addresses  to  the  king  of  Great  Britain  were 
modest,  patient,  and  manly ;  those  to  the  people  of  England,  af- 
fectionate and  full  of  sorrow,  that  such  times  should  have  come,  and 
such  evils,  as  they  suffered,  should  exist.  The  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence, in  which,  it  might  be  supposed,  was  concentrated  all  their 
wrongs  and  sufferings,  is  still  expressed  in  the  calm  language  of  en- 
during philosophy  and  patriotism,  without  one  particle  of  rage  or 
vengeance,  but  still  strong,  clear,  bold,  and  impressive. 

The  pamphlets  and  letters  of  that  period  are,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions, models  of  plain  unsophisticated  reasoning,  and  addressed  to 
the  understandings  of  the  people,  rather  than  to  their  passions. 
Nothing  of  the  tumid,  vapouring,  trash  of  the  electioneering  style 
of  later  days  was  known  to  those  who  brought  on  our  independence, 
at  the  price  of  blood  and  treasure,  which  price  was  not  fixed  to  any 
limits,  nor  bounded  by  any  measure.  The  addresses  of  the  go- 
vernors, presidents,  and  commanders-in-chief  of  the  militia  of  the 
several  states,  partook  of  the  same  spirit ;  and  as  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  a  better  day  of  taste  in  literary  composition  had  never  been. 


104  LECTURES  ON 

known  amongst  us,  than  that  when  the  danger  was  the  greatest,  and 
the  minds  of  men  might  be  thought  to  be  the  most  perturbed. 

The  authors  of  that  day,  not  only  availed  themselves  of  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  philosophers  and  sages  of  antiquity,  whose  works 
abound  hi  all  the  doctrines  of  liberty,  expressed  in  every  beauty  of 
language  and  charm  of  literature,  but  also  of  those  pithy  writers  of  a 
later  date,  that  political  circumstances  had  brought  out,  in  Italy, 
France,  and  England  ;  but  particularly  those  of  the  United  Nether- 
lands ;  these  last  were  of  great  service,  their  history  resembling  our 
own  more  distinctly  than  that  of  any  other  nation.  Their  articles  of 
confederation  were,  confessedly,  the  basis  of  ours,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  revolution. 

Charleston,  hi  South  Carolina,  has  the  honour  of  making  the  first 
celebration  of  the  4th  of  July.  This  was  in  1778,  two  years  only  after 
the  declaration  of  independence.  On  that  day,  Doctor  Ramsay,  since 
so  well  known  to  every  child  in  the  United  States,  as  a  politician 
and  historian,  appeared  as  the  orator.  Whoever  will  turn  over  the 
pages  of  that  excellent  address,  will  rejoice  to  find  how  fairly  and 
faithfully  the  blessings  of  independence  are  enumerated  in  it ;  not 
in  the  swollen  language  of  vanity,  striving  for  importance,  but  in 
the  strong,  bold,  flowing  periods,  of  one  who  had  reasoned  and  felt 
upon  all  the  great  matters  he  was  discussing.  In  all  probability, 
this  custom  has  been  kept  alive  there  ever  since ;  if  not  exactly  an- 
nually, yet  with  sufficient  regularity  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a 
proper  political  stimulant.  In  1785,  on  the  4th  of  July,  Doctor 
Josiah  B.  Ladd,  a  gentleman  of  high  standing  in  the  literary  world, 
was  solicited  in  that  city,  to  make  an  address  before  the  executive 
authority  of  South  Carolina.  This  tasteful  effort  has  been  preserved 
for  our  instruction  and  guide. 

In  every  stage  of  the  contest,  the  literary  men  of  our  country  did 
every  thing  in  their  power,  to  raise  the  flame  of  patriotism  in  the 
breasts  of  their  countrymen.  The  aphorisms  of  the  poets  and  sages 
of  all  tunes  and  countries  were  brought  forth  to  enlighten  and  ani- 
mate our  people ;  and  the  striking  instances  of  patriotism  in  history 
were  made  also  to  bear  upon  every  crisis  in  our  political  affairs, 
with  great  judgement.  An  instance  of  this  I  will  give  you.  On  the 
5th  of  July,  the  fourth  having  been  Sunday,  in  the  year  1779, 
Judge  Breckenridge,  of  Philadelphia,  delivered  an  "  ETJLOGITJM  ON 

THE    BRAVE    MEN   WHO   HAD    FALLEN    IN    THE    CONTEST    WITH 

GREAT  BRITAIN."  It  was  a  happy  thought;  the  subject  was  na- 
tural and  classical,  and  was  treated  with  great  taste  and  effect. 
There  was  a  law  of  the  Athenians,  that  after  a  battle  in  which  her 
brave  men  had  fallen,  an  orator  should  be  elected  by  the  court  of 
Areopagus,  to  pronounce  an  eulogy  on  the  deceased  before  the  ci- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  105 

tizens  of  the  Republic.  In  the  87th  Olympiad,  431  years  before 
the  Christian  era,  Pericles  was  appointed  by  the  court  to  pronounce 
an  eulogium  upon  those  citizen-soldiers  who  fell  in  the  first  Pelo- 
ponnesian  war.  The  oration  of  this  eminent  scholar  and  statesman 
has  been  preserved  in  the  pages  of  Thucydides,  and  is  one  of  the 
noblest  specimens  of  eloquence  which  has  come  down  to  us  from 
antiquity.  He  began  with  commending  to  the  notice  of  his  audi- 
ence their  ancestors— the  Athenians  of  other  times ;  their  valour, 
their  love  of  liberty,  their  attention  to  arts  and  arms,  were  touched 
with  the  skill  of  a  master  hand.  The  charms  of  civil  society,  of  re- 
fined manners,  and  of  the  sweets  of  intellectual  superiority,  were  ad- 
mirably portrayed.  The  privileges  of  the  people  of  Greece,  above 
all  other  men,  were  not  forgotten,  nor  the  value  of  existence  kept  out 
of  view ;  but  at  the  same  time,  the  honour  of  dying  in  the  field  of 
glory  was  fully  set  forth.  The  duty  of  the  publick  to  the  offspring 
of  those  who  were  slain  fighting  the  battles  of  the  country,  was  dis- 
tinctly stated,  and  the  ordinance  on  that  subject  recited ;  "  that  those 
children  made  fatherless  by  such  a  cause,  should  be  educated  at 
the  public  expense." 

The  American  orator  had  a  still  more  noble  theme.  The  Athe- 
nians had  engaged  in  this  war,  not  from  necessity,  but  from  pride 
and  a  love  of  military  glory.  They  might  have  avoided  it,  and  yet 
have  retained  their  splendour  and  liberties,  and  all  those  charms 
which  the  orator  dwelt  upon,  as  sweetening  life.  The  mighty  Athe- 
nian said,  that  one  of  the  great  motives  which  influenced  the  brave 
citizens,  and  led  them  to  rush  on  death,  was  revenge,  revenge. 
The  citizen-soldiers  of  our  republic  had  nothing  of  revenge  in  their 
dispositions,  which  brought  them  to  the  ensanguined  field,  and  laid 
them  low  in  the  dust.  To  use  the  American  orator's  words,  "  it  was 
the  pure  love  of  virtue  and  freedom,  burning  bright  within  their 
minds,  that  alone  could  engage  them  to  embark  in  an  undertaking 
of  so  bold  and  perilous  a  nature.  They  were  not  soldiers  by  pro- 
fession ;  they  were  men  in  the  easy  walks  of  life,  mechanicks  of  the 
city,  merchants  of  the  counting-house,  youths  engaged  in  literary 
studies,  and  husbandmen,  peaceful  cultivators  of  the  soil,  happy  in 
the  sociability  and  conversation  of  the  town,  the  simplicity  of  the 
country  village,  or  the  philosophick  ease  of  academick  leisure,  and 
the  sweets  of  social  life ;  they  wished  not  a  change  of  these  scenes 
of  pleasure  for  the  dangers  and  calamities  of  war." 

The  American  orator  is  nv>n>  impassioned  than  his  great  proto- 
type of  Athens;  his  language  glows  with  more  warmth;  there  was 
less  ambition  in  his  strain  of  eloquence,  and  more  of  humanity  than 
the  orator  of  Athens  allowed  in  his  philosophy.  Both  orators  called 
up  the  fathers  and  the  sons  of  those  who  fell,  to  comfort  them  by 
.  14 


10ft  LECTURES  ON 

different  forms  of  reasoning.  The  American  orator  had  the  ad- 
vantage in  the  closing  part  of  his  oration,  for  the  Athenian,  in  a  few 
cold  and  ungallant  sentences  addressed  to  the  widows,  advised  them 
"  to  keep  as  much  out  ofpublick  view,  ami  as  far  from  publick  re- 
mark, as  possible."  The  American  mothers  and  widows  required 
no  such  advice.  In  the  time  of  Pericles,  the  Christian  religion 
which  gives  to  women  all  their  true  influence,  was  unknown. 
Our  orator  took  leave  of  the  mighty  dead,  with  the  heart  of  a  pa- 
triot, and  with  the  views  of  a  prophet.  "  Who  in  after  times  (says 
he)  shall  speak  of  those  who  have  risen  to  renown  ?  I  will  charge  it 
to  the  golden-winged  and  silver-tongued  bards :  that  they  recollect 
and  set  in  order  every  circumstance,  the  causes  of  the  war,  early 
and  just  exertions,  the  toils,  hazardous  achievements,  noble  resolu- 
tions, unshaken  perseverance,  unabated  ardour,  hopes  in  the  worst 
of  times,  triumphs  of  victory,  humanity  to  an  enemy;  all  these  will 
I  charge  it,  that  they  recollect  and  set  in  order,  and  give  them  bright 
and  unsullied  to  the  coming  ages.  The  bards  I  know  will  hear  me ; 
and  you,  my  gallant  countrymen,  shall  go  down  to  posterity  with 
exceeding  honour.  Your  fame  shall  ascend  on  the  stream  of  time ; 
it  shall  play  with  the  breezes  of  the  morning.  Men  at  rest  in  the 
cool  age  of  life,  from  the  fury  of  a  thousand  wars,  finished  by  their 
fathers,  shall  observe  the  spreading  ensign.  They  shall  hail  it,  as  it 
waves  with  variegated  glories,  and  feeling  all  the  warm  rapture  of 
the  heart,  shall  give  their  plaudits  from  the  shores." 

The  Athenians  did  redeem  their  pledge ;  the  orphans  were  edu- 
cated at  the  publick  expense ;  but  where  are  the  children  of  those 
who  fell  in  our  revolutionary  war?  We  leave  those  to  answer  who 
can,  satisfactorily  to  themselves. 

The  literature  of  the  revolution  is  scattered  throughout  the  his- 
tory of  all  the  transactions  of  that  eventful  period ;  but  in  no  in- 
stance does  it  shine  more  conspicuously  than  in  the  productions  of 
Washington ;  he  was  not  a  scholar  by  education  or  profession  ;  his 
information  was  miscellaneous,  and  by  no  means  extensive,  when  his 
early  publick  services  began.  He  knew  something  of  history  and 
mathematicks,  and  something  of  the  military  tacticks  of  the  day. 
He,  from  his  youth,  saw  things,  at  all  times,  through  a  clear  me- 
dium, and  expressed  his  thoughts  with  clearness,  force,  and  honesty. 
'His  history  of  his  journey  to  the  Ohio,  undertaken  by  the  order  of 
Dinwiddie,  proves  that  his  judgment  was  the  master  trait  of  his 
mind.  The  object  of  his  mission  is  not  a  moment  forgotten ;  he 
looked  with  a  single  eye  to  that  object,  and  he  never,  for  a  moment, 
turned  himself,  to  think  of  his  dangers  or  his  sufferings.  At  every 
step  such  a  mind  improves.  -His  first  address  to  his  army  in  July, 
1775,  is  full  of  excellent  military  rules,  but  is  wanting  in  that  felici- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  107 

tous  elegance  which  he  afterwards  acquired.  He  never  suffered  a 
sentiment  to  come  from  his  pen  negligently  written ;  all  was  worked 
into  ease  and  dignity.  No  commander  that  ever  lived  had  so  much 
need  of  this  talent.  Others  have  had  to  issue  orders  and  to  give  an 
account  of  proceedings ;  Washington  had  not  only  to  do  these,  but 
other  things  besides.  He  had,-  at  times,  to  perform  every  duty  inci- 
dent to  war,  and  more,  from  a  pioneer  to  a  field  marshal ;  and  from 
a  sutler  to  a  chancellor  of  the  exchequer,  at  least  with  his  pen  ;  not 
only  this,  he  had  to  use  every  argument  to  collect  troops,  and  to 
keep  them  together,  even  for  the  shortest  time ;  apathy  was  to  be 
aroused ;  vaulting  ambition  to  be  struck  down ;  individual  bicker- 
ings to  be  silenced  ;  sectional  irritations  to  be  soothed ;  the  quarrel- 
some and  high  mettled  to  be  controlled,  that  the  service  should  not 
suffer ;  the  faint  and  despairing  to  be  encouraged  ;  the  living  to  be 
supported,  and  heaven,  sometimes,  only  knew  how ;  and  the  dead 
were  to  be  duly  honoured,  according  to  military  usages,  when  the 
army  had  hardly  powder  enough  to  fire  a  volley  at  the  enemy.  In 
all  this,  the  address  of  Washington  was  conspicuous,  but  the  pro- 
ductions of  his  pen  were  more  so.  He  wrote  to  all,  he  reasoned 
with  all,  and  he  conquered  all.  Congress  was  not  at  all  times  in  a  pro- 
per temper  to  render  him  the  most  efficient  aid  ;  he  was  obliged  to 
come  upon  them  in  all  forms  of  entreaty ;  alarming  them,  at  times, 
by  his  intimations  of  leaving  the  army,  using  every  suggestion  which 
could  reach  their  pride,  their  patriotism,  their  honour,  courage,  or 
any  other  faculty,  property,  or  sympathy,  about  them.  There  is  not 
a  form  of  reasoning  that  he  was  not  obliged  to  assume ;  still,  every 
form  was  pure  English,  good  common  sense,  in  his  mother  tongue. 
Cesar  wrote  his  commentaries  in  the  camp,  and  they  are  a  fine  mo- 
del of  chaste  and  elegant  writing  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered,  that 
Cesar  was  a  high  bred  Roman  scholar.  He  was  as  proud  of  his 
eloquence  and  fine  writing,  as  he  was  of  his  fame  as  a  great  leader 
of  armies.  Wolfe  made  his  addresses  and  wrote  his  despatches  in 
the  toils  and  distresses  incident  to  a  camp ;  but  these  productions  are 
but  few,  compared  with  those  of  Washington.  Burgoyne's  letters, 
written  in  the  field,  are  said  to  surpass  those  written  in  the  closet ; 
Nelson's  account  of  the  battle  of  the  Nile  is  sublime;  and 
Buonaparte's  address  to  his  soldiers  under  the  pyramids,  is  full  of 
epick  grandeur.  But  these  are  momentary  bursts  of  chivalrous  feel- 
ings; while  Washington's  addresses,  despatches,  and  letters,  to 
everyone,  in  every  part  of  the  country,  was  a  continued  exertion  of 
reason,  to  save  his  country.  When  the  memory  of  individual  ex- 
ertion shall  be  lost,  and  history  shall  only  speak,  in  general  terms, 
of  the  revolutionary  conflict,  these  letters  and  addresses  of  Wash- 
ington will  preserve  the  particular  scenes  of  that  day,  and  bring 


108  LECTURES  ON 

them  at  once  to  the  understanding  of  men.  In  looking  carefully 
over  his  productions  already  published,  I  cannot  find  in  them  one 
word  that  is  not  pure,  legitimate  English ;  good  Saxon  English, 
through  which  runs  the  best  currents  of  true  liberty  in  thinking 
and  acting  of  any  language  that  can  be  found,  at  any  time  or 
place. 

The  close  of  the  war  of  independence,  when  the  people  fondly 
thought  that  they  were  about  to  be  rewarded  for  all  their  sacrifices, 
was  the  most  painful  period  of  our  history.  At  that  time,  from 
1783  to  1789,  almost  every  one  found  his  affairs  in  a  deranged  state. 
The  state  debts  which  had  been  made  in  hopes  of  prosperous  times, 
then  operated  severely  on  all  classes  in  the  community.  To  pay 
their  debts  with  promptness  was  impossible,  and  every  relief-act  only 
made  the  matter  worse.  It  was  then  that  the  people  found  that  the 
great  work  of  independence,  as  contemplated  at  the  beginning  of 
the  conflict,  was  only  half  done ;  a  form  of  government  was  to  be 
fixed  upon  to  give  energy  to  national  power,  and  success  to  indi- 
vidual and  national  enterprise.  This  portentous  crisis  formed  ano- 
ther epoch  for  the  display  of  the  literary  and  political  attainments 
of  the  active  and  patriotick  minds  in  our  country.  New  men  ap- 
peared on  the  important  discussion  of  the  adoption  of  the  federal 
constitution  in  the  several  state  conventions ;  and  it  was  found  that 
the  quantity  of  talent  and  information  hi  the  country  had  greatly 
increased  during  the  war ;  and  that  its  standard  quality  was  equally 
good  and  precious  as  that  which  had  been  assayed  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  difficulties.  A  thousand  intellectual  lamps  were  lighted 
up  along  our  shores,  to  show  the  people  in  what  darkness  they  were 
groping,  and  to  what  a  precipice  they  were  hastening.  A  baleful 
meteor  now  and  then  led  the  people  for  a  moment  astray,  but  at 
length  the  right  path  was  found,  and  the  nation  commenced  its 
march  onward  to  prosperity  and  honour. 

Perhaps  it  were  well  to  pause  a  moment  and  name  a  few  of  those 
who  displayed  their  literature  and  eloquence  at  this  important  period. 
They  left  unexplored  no  portion  of  history.  They  passed  by  no 
lesson  of  experience ;  all  were  faithfully  examined  and  thoroughly 
sifted,  and  the  people  had  the  benefits  of  the  results.  That  nation 
cannot  be  long  in  danger  that  can,  on  any  great  event,  command  her 
physical  and  mental  powers  for  her  safety  and  guide. 

It  was  felt  by  all  thinking  men,  in  every  part  of  the  country,  that 
the  old  confederation  was  no  longer  a  sufficient  bond  of  union.  The 
great  pressure  of  common  danger,  which  had  kept  all  secure,  had 
in  a  great  measure  ceased,  and  the  people  were  hurrying  fast  on  to 
anarchy,  for  want  of  a  government  that  could  enforce  its  requisitions. 

From  these  conventions  much  of  the  nature  of  our  people,  their 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  109 

habitsof  thinking,  and  reasoning,  and  feeling,  may  be  gathered.  In 
looking  over  the  debates  in  the  several  conventions  in  the  different 
states,  we  find  a  great  deal  of  talent  displayed,  from  New-Hamp- 
shire to  Georgia ;  and  we  may  also  see  that  the  education  of  each 
state  had  been  nearly  on  the  same  model ;  for  in  reading  the  speeches 
of  all,  a  foreigner  would  at  once  pronounce  that  the  orators  were 
trained  in  the  same  school.  The  style  of  eloquence  may  vary  a 
little,  but  the  language  used  in  the  debates  is  all  in  the  good  old 
English  books.  They  had  the  same  jealousies,  the  same  hopes  and 
fears,  and  the  same  determinations.  These  jealousies  had  taken 
rank  hold  of  common  minds  in  every  portion  of  the  country  5  but  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  those  in  favour  of  adopting  the  constitu- 
tion were  generally  of  the  higher  classes  of  intellect,  and  those  who 
had  most  at  stake,  although  it  must  be  conceded  that  there  were 
many  exceptions  to  this  remark.  The  speakers  in  favour  of  adopts 
ing  the  constitution  far  outnumbered  those  opposed  to  it,  in  propor- 
tion to  the  majority  obtained  for  the  final  vote. 

In  the  convention  of  Massachusetts,  there  were,  out  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  members,  sixty-seven  speakers,  and  not  more  than 
eight  or  ten  ventured  to  oppose  the  constitution  in  debate ;  and  yet 
there  were,  after  every  exertion,  but  a  majority  of  nineteen  in  favour 
of  the  adoption  of  it.  In  the  convention  of  New- York,  which  con- 
sisted of  about  sixty  members,  there  was  only  a  majority  of  two  in 
favour  of  the  adoption ;  and  among  the  thirteen  speakers  there  were 
only  two  or  three  in  the  negative.  The  talents  were  certainly  on 
the  side  of  the  adoption  ;  the  impressions  of  the  people  were  at  first 
decidedly  against  it,  from  the  fear  that  they  were  giving  up  too  much 
of  their  hard  earned  liberty,  and  not  from  any  wish  to  live  in  a  state 
of  anarchy.  A  bookseller  of  the  city  of  Washington  has,  with  a 
very  enterprising  spirit,  commenced  the  publication  of  the  debates 
in  the  several  conventions ;  and  has  issued  one  volume,  containing 
those  in  the  conventions  of  Massachusetts  and  New- York.  This  is 
a  laudable  enterprise,  and  we  wish  him  the  success  which  he  de- 
serves. It  must,  however,  be  taken  into  consideration,  that  forty 
years  have  elapsed  since  these  debates  were  reported  ;  and  at  that 
time  the  art  of  reporting  speeches  was  but  little  known ;  and  it  can- 
not be  supposed  that  in  cases  where  the  speakers  did  not  assist  the 
reporters,  that  we  have  any  thing  more  than  the  skeletons  of  the 
speeches  delivered.  The  convention  of  Massachusetts  were  toge- 
ther from  the  9th  of  January,  1788,  to  February  7th,  twenty-nine 
days,  at  which  time  there  were  nearly  two  hundred  speeches  made ; 
and  among  the  orators  some  of  the  first  men  New-England  ever 
produced.  Parsons,  Ames,  Cabot,  Gore,  King,  Dana,  Jarvis,  Strong, 
Brooks,  Dawes,  and  others,  who  exhausted  every  subject  they  dig- 
it 


110  LECTURES  ON 

cussed.  The  whole  of  these  speeches  is  comprised  in  one  hundred 
and  fifty  octavo  pages ;  and  from  a  comparison  of  their  different 
styles  of  speaking  on  other  subjects,  I  find  that  the  reporter's,  not 
the  speaker's  style,  is  to  be  seen ;  still,  however,  much  credit  is  due 
to  him  for  getting  these  debates  up  so  well  as  he  did  at  that  time. 
The  New-York  orators  were  fortunate,  for  they  undertook  to  assist 
the  reporter,  and  of  course  posterity  will  have  a  fair  view  of  their 
arguments.  It  must  be  granted  that  the  New- York  convention  was 
a  highly  intellectual  body. 

Virginia,  always  true  to  her  native  talents,  had  an  experienced 
reporter  in  the  convention  to  take  down  the  debates ;  and  fortunately 
for  us,  he  extended  them  to  three  volumes,  amounting  to  six  hun- 
dred and  twelve  closely  printed  pages;  and  although  that  body  was 
in  session  but  twenty-six  days,  and  only  thirteen  or  fourteen  mem- 
bers attempted  to  speak,  yet  we  have  more  matter  from  these 
speeches  than  from  the  Massachusetts  and  New- York  reports  to- 
gether. Those  in  the  Virginia  convention,  in  favour  of  adopting 
the  proposed  constitution,  who  distinguished  themselves  by  their 
speeches,  were  Messrs.  Nicholas,  Randolph,  Madison,  Pendleton, 
Marshall,  and  Tyler.  Those  opposed  to  its  adoption,  were  Patrick 
Henry,  Mason,  Munroe,  Grayson,  and  Dawson.  Mr.  Madison  took 
a  very  active  part,  and  spoke  more  than  any  other  member  in  the 
convention ;  although  all  those  mentioned  were  deeply  engaged. 
It  will  not  be  denied,  at  this  day,  that  throughout  the  thirteen  United 
States,  in  these  debates  on  establishing  a  form  of  government, 
a  majority  of  the  talents  was  on  the  side  of  the  constitution ; 
yet  there  were  able  men  opposed  to  it.  When  the  main  question 
was  taken,  the  plurality  in  Virginia  was  only  ten— eighty-nine  vo- 
ting in  the  affirmative,  and  seventy-nine  in  the  negative.  The  ques- 
tion was  ably  argued  on  both  sides,  and  the  objections  very  honestly 
given.  Patrick  Henry,  and  those  who  acted  with  him,  were  fearful 
of  the  loss  of  state  influence.  They  were  alanned  at  the  expression 
"  we,  the  people."  They  saw  in  this  phrase  a  consolidation  of  inte- 
rests which  was  not  consistent  with  state  pride;  while,  in  many  states, 
the  people  were  afraid  that  individual  rights  would  be  lost.  These 
different  jealousies  were  shown  at  every  movement  of  the  states ; 
but  at  last  were  happily  overcome  by  the  perseverance  of  the  friends 
of  the  constitution.  A  victory  was  obtained  more  difficult  to  achieve 
than  any;  yea,  than  all  those  of  arms  which  had  been  gained  in  the 
revolutionary  straggle.  These  jealousies  were  natural,  but  the  con- 
quest over  them  was  glorious. 

I  should  proceed  to  give  the  best  information  I  have  upon  the 
conventions  of  the  other  states,  if  the  publick  were  not  soon  to  be 
in  possession  of  all  that  remains  of  their  history  from  the  press  of 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  Ill 

Mr.  J.  Elliott,  of  Washington,  whose  labours  and  research  in  this 
undertaking  deserve  the  patronage  of  the  publick. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  so  many  of  the  speeches  of  the  members 
of  the  different  conventions,  are  irrecoverably  lost  for  the  want  of 
a  proper  reporter  at  the  time,  and  from  inattention  since.  It  is  a 
mortifying  truth  that  more  of  our  history,  or  more  of  the  minute 
facts  of  which  our  history  has  been  composed,  have  been  preserved 
by  other  nations  than  by  ourselves.  The  nations  of  Europe  con- 
sidered our  case  a  new  one  in  the  annals  of  the  world ;  and  some 
of  their  curious  speculators  on  the  progress  of  events,  took  infinite 
pains  to  procure  all  the  information  to  be  had  in  respect  to  us  and 
our  proceedings.  The  Italian  historian,  Botta,  not  only  procured 
all  the  information  he  could,  but  set  down  and  wrote  the  history  of 
our  revolution  with  great  fairness,  and  with  tolerable  accuracy. 
Professor  Ebeling,  of  Germany,  had  the  intention,  it  is  said,  of  wri- 
ting out  our  whole  history,  and  collected  a  great  mass  of  materials 
for  that  purpose.  The  history  he  did  not  write;  but  we  have, 
through  the  mcdixim  of  an  individual,  the  benefit  of  his  collections; 
they  having  been  purchased  and  brought  to  this  country. 

There  is  one  work  which  deserves  our  notice,  and  which  ought 
to  be  republished,  as  there  are  but  few  copies  of  it  in  this  country. 
"The  Remembrancer,  or  an  Impartial  Repository  of  Publick  Events." 
This  work  was  begun  by  J.  Almon,  and  published  in  monthly  num- 
bers, in  London.  It  extends  over  the  whole  time  of  the  revolution, 
from  1775  to  1783,  and  amounts  to  fourteen  volumes,  as  collected 
and  bound.  The  work  was  friendly  to  the  cause  of  America,  and 
was  supported  by  the  friends  of  this  country  at  that  time,  and  is 
remarkable  for  its  candour,  truth,  and  fidelity.  One  already  pos- 
sessed of  the  general  outlines  of  the  great  contest  between  the  colo- 
nies and  the  mother  country,  will  find  in  this  work  more  valuable 
documents,  of  a  particular  and  circumstantial  nature,  to  aid  him  m 
getting  a  minute  history  of  his  country  at  that  period,  than  he  can 
in  any  other  work  extant.  Every  one  who  has  read  history  with 
attention,  and  with  a  desire  to  gain  knowledge,  will  frequently  find 
that  there  are  a  thousand  little  chinks  left  by  the  general  writer  that 
he  could  wish  to  see  filled  up ;  but  knows  not  where  to  seek  for  the 
facts  he  is  anxious  to  find.  As  to  the  history  of  our  revolution, 
these  volumes  will  greatly  assist  him.  It  has  been  a  fruitful  source 
for  the  historians  themselves.  The  Remembrancer  is  something 
like  Niles'  Register,  and  is  now  what  that  will  be  to  the  future  his- 
torians of  our  country.  We  are  deeply  indebted  to  the  friends  of 
our  cause,  at  that  period,  in  every  part  of  the  world,  for  their  help- 
ing hand  and  good  wishes ;  without  which  we  might  have  fainted 


113  LECTURES  ON 

in  reaching  the  goal  and  obtaining  the  prize ;  gratitude  should  re- 
member what  benevolence  has  forgotten. 

After  these  great  exertions  for  the  adoption  of  the  federal  consti- 
tution had  been  made  in  the  state  conventions,  and  indeed  while 
they  were  making,  and  the  question  was  under  discussion,  a  great 
deal  was  written  by  men  of  enlightened  minds,  and  given  to  the 
public,  to  clear  up  the  difficulties  which  had  been  suggested  by  those 
opposed  to  the  form  of  government  provided  for  in  the  constitution. 
Mr.  Jay,  Mr.  Madison,  and  Mr.  Hamilton,  brought  all  the  powers  of 
their  mighty  minds,  to  satisfy  the  people  that  they  were  doing  wisely 
to  support  the  constitution,  not  only  in  convention,  but  by  a  series 
of  letters  in  the  publick  prints.  These  periodicals,  now  acknow- 
ledged as  their  productions,  unite  the  soundest  maxims  of  good  go- 
vernment, with  the  clearest  and  best  illustrations  of  the  best  forms 
in  which  it  could  appear.  These  productions  may  be  said  to  have 
fixed  the  publick  mind.  The  relations  and  bearings  of  the  provi- 
sions of  the  constitution,  were  so  distinctly  pointed  out  in  them,  that 
all  could  understand ;  and  such  was  the  correctness  and  beauty  of 
the  style  of  these  numbers,  that  by  them  the  taste  of  the  country 
was  refined,  as  well  as  the  views  of  the  citizens  enlarged,  and  then- 
understandings  enlightened.  I  shall  not  stop,  at  this  moment,  to 
point  out  the  part  each  one  took  in  this  great  labour ;  but  simply 
make  this  passing  remark,  that  the  Federalist  stands  foremost  among 
American  literary  productions,  whether  we  consider  the  subject,  the 
matter,  or  style  of  the  work,  or  its  usefulness  in  explaining  the 
views  of  those  learned  statesmen  who  achieved  the  second  part  of 
our  independence.  The  effect  of  this  work  was  such,  that  in  a  few 
years  after  it  gained  general  circulation,  there  was  scarcely  a  man 
to  be  found  who  questioned  the  propriety  of  the  adoption  of  the 
constitution. 

The  valour  which  fought  out  the  battles  of  the  revolutionary  war, 
and  finally  drove  the  enemy  from  our  shore,  and  the  wisdom  which 
suggested  our  excellent  form  of  government,  and  the  address  and 
perseverance  which  led  to  its  adoption,  were  more  than  equalled 
by  the  wisdom  and  prudence  with  which  the  machinery  was  set  in 
motion.  The  first  congress,  under  the  constitution,  was  composed 
of  great  men ;  most  of  them  had  been  reared  in  the  school  of  expe- 
rience, and  had  been  employed  previously  in  considering  that  in- 
strument; in  order  to  assist  in  forwarding  its  adoption,  they  came 
to  their  congressional  duties  with  a  spirit  of  forbearance,  ready  to 
sacrifice  all  local  prejudices  on  the  altar  of  their  country's  good. 
What  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  one  did  not  reach,  the  in- 
genuity of  the  other  suggested,  and  all  went  on  harmoniously  and 
successfully.  There  was  a  delicacy  shown  to  each  other  in  that 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  113 

body,  generally  speaking,  which  has  never  been  felt  or  exhibited  since ; 
and  perhaps  it  has  never  since  been  so  necessary  as  at  that  time. 
The  eyes  of  the  community  were  turned  towards  congress  as  to- 
wards the  trying  of  an  experiment,  of  which  there  were  nearly  as 
many  fears  as  hopes.  To  use  a  phrase  from  the  laws  of  the  solar 
system,  its  polarity  was  inclined  towards  democracy,  as  being  more 
congenial  to  the  feelings  of  the  people,  and  more  consistent  with 
the  elements  of  our  society,  than  a  stronger  government  would  have 
been.  The  people  reasoned  from  expanded  views  of  human  nature, 
and  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  history.  They  saw  that  des- 
potick  power  destroys  the  oak  of  liberty,  by  cutting  up  root  and 
branch,  and  by  striking  the  soil  on  which  it  grows  with  dead  sterility; 
while  anarchy,  if  it  comes  at  all,  comes  in  a  whirlwind  with  an  hun- 
dred hands,  and  scatters  the  leaves  and  breaks  the  branches;  but  the 
root  is  not  always  left  sapless ;  and  the  acorn,  trodden  under  foot, 
may  burst  its  germ  and  spring  into  life,  and  flourish  in  a  new  ge- 
neration. Violent  political  discussions  often  pass  away,  and  leave 
the  lessons  of  experience  to  be  felt  and  regarded ;  but  nations  rarely 
recover  from  the  paralysis  of  despotism.  Our  ancestors  saw  the 
mother  country,  even  in  all  the  disasters  and  horrors  of  civil  wars, 
advance  in  power  and  influence,  while  Spain,  in  the  quiet  of  arbi- 
trary power,  was  fast  sinking  into  a  secondary  importance.  In 
England  the  most  useful  institutions,  and  many  of  her  learned  men, 
grew  up  immediately  after  a  civil  war,  or  in  it ;  while  with  all  the 
influx  of  gold  from  the  new  world,  learning  and  the  arts  declined  at 
the  same  time,  in  the  calm  of  Spanish  despotism. 

The  literature  of  nations  may  be  seen,  in  some  measure,  in  the 
style  in  which  their  laws  are  written,  and  by  their  state  papers. 
We  judge  of  the  state  of  the  Romans  by  the  style  of  the  Justinian 
code,  as  well  as  by  the  poets  of  the  Augustan  age.  In  fact,  the  style 
of  the  laws  is  a  better  proof  of  the  general  advancement  of  knowledge, 
than  that  of  the  works  of  a  few  poets.  The  laws  reflect  the  ge- 
neral intelligence,  while  poetry  is  perhaps  only  the  reflected  imagery 
of  a  few  individual  minds.  The  laws  of  the  United  States  show  a 
great  extent  of  knowledge  in  the  civil  and  commercial  relations  of 
society  and  nations.  No  country  ever  produced  so  many  laws  in  so 
short  a  period  of  time.  These  laws  and  regulations  are,  in  general, 
clear  and  explicit ;  sometimes  they  are  marked  with  the  peculiar 
phraseology  of  a  particular  state,  as  borrowed  from  the  statute  book 
of  that  state ;  but  this  is  not  perceptible  to  any  one  but  those  deeply 
read  in  these  state  laws.  Every  day's  business  is  giving  a  more 
entire  national  stamp  to  the  statute  book  of  the  United  States;  and 
the  numerous  and  lucid  decisions  of  the  supreme  court  have  pro- 
ducal  uniform  constructions  in  the  laws  which  were  in  some  degree 
K2  15 


114  LECTURES  ON 

differently  construed  in  different  sections  of  this  extended  country 
at  the  commencement  of  our  national  career. 

The  style  of  our  state  papers  has  been  of  a  high  order,  in  point  of 
clearness  and  correctness,  the  great  requisites  in  communications  of 
a  publick  nature.  The  first  secretaries  were  men  of  industry  and 
learning,  and  they  spared  no  pains  to  leave  on  record  proofs  of  their 
abilities  as  makers  of  precedents.  A  responsible  situation,  indeed ; 
several  of  these  men  were  prime  scholars,  and  felt  that  they  were 
making  models  for  future  ages.  It  is  a  subject  of  congratulation  to 
us,  that  so  many  patient,  industrious,  and  learned  men  were,  at  that 
period,  found  for  the  discharge  of  such  important  duties.  The  anxiety 
of  the  first  president  to  have  every  thing  well  matured,  and  clearly 
expressed,  was  favourable  for  the  commencement  of  such  an  order 
of  things.  The  duties  of  high  political  offices  are  always  laborious 
and  painful ;  but  when  there  were  but  few  or  no  landmarks  to  guide 
them,  it  must  have  been  difficult  indeed  to  have  steered  so  correctly. 

Much  debating  talent  had  been  shown  in  congress  in  every  stage 
of  organizing  and  making  these  laws,  the  passage  of  which  circum- 
stances imperiously  demanded ;  but  there  was  no  particular  display 
of  eloquence  from  any  side  of  the  house,  until  the  British  treaty 
called  it  forth ;  and  perhaps,  at  no  time  since,  have  higher  powers 
been  developed  in  our  national  assembly,  than  on  that  subject.  The 
champions,  for  and  against,  came  forward  and  fought  valiantly.  It 
was  a  new  question ;  and  there  might  have  been  some  honest  differ- 
ences ;  but  it  was  debated  upon  party  grounds,  and  so  decided.  Who 
were  right  or  who  were  wrong  it  matters  not,  as  it  regards  these 
lectures ;  it  is  mentioned  as  an  era  in  our  eloquence,  so  memorable, 
that  American  talent,  in  speaking,  is  never  mentioned  without  some 
allusion  to  the  debate  on  Jay's  treaty. 

Literature  and  science  are  near  in  their  relationship,  and  seldom 
known  to  be  far  separated.  Literature  has  generally  received  more 
attention  in  the  early  ages  of  nations  than  science.  The  sweet  in- 
fluences of  Orion  and  Pleiades  had  been  sung  for  ages  in  poetry, 
before  science  had  marked  their  courses  or  weighed  them  in  her 
balance ;  and-  science,  after  all  the  discoveries  she  has  made,  has 
adopted  the  terms  used  by  taste  and  imagination,  long  before  these 
discoveries  were  thought  of.  Every  profession,  to  be  respectable, 
must  unite  both  in  some  degree.  Without  both,  they  are  only 
trades,  possessing  neither  dignity,  nor  refinement,  nor  interest.  Ba- 
con was  the  first  among  the  lawyers  who  brought  tasle  into  the 
science  of  the  profession.  For  this,  he  was  derided  by  Coke  as  un- 
sound and  fanciful.  Bacon  could  do  nothing  without  leaving  the 
impressions  of  mind,  taste,  and  elegant  novelty  upon  it.  He  laid 
hold  of  all  the  fabulous  history  of  gods  and  demigods,  and  heroes, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  115 

and  laid  bare  its  hidden  meaning,  and,  by  his  explanations,  gave 
utility,  point,  and  beauty,  to  that  which  before  seemed  useless, 
dull,  and  extravagant.  It  is  the  pride  of  the  present  day,  that  his 
fame  has  been  defended,  and  his  honesty  proved,  by  one  of  our  own 
countrymen,  after  it  had  been  surrounded  by  falsehood  and  preju- 
dice, for  more  than  a  century  and  a  half.  A  writer  of  the  first  ta- 
lents, in  the  North  American  Review,  a  few  years  since,  had  the 
honour  of  showing  the  world,  that  Bacon  deserved  the  epithets 
brightest,  wisest  of  mankind ;  but  that  "  meanest"  was  added  at 
first  by  wickedness,  and  perpetuated  by  one  who  cared  but  little 
whether  the  epithet  was  just  or  unjust,  if  he  could  make  the  libel 
" paint  a  moral,  or  adorn  a  tale"  Bacon  treated  the  law  as  a 
science  capable  of  employing  the  graces  of  literature.  After  a  con- 
siderable interval,  Blackstone  wrote  his  commentaries,  which  proved 
that  the  fundamental  principles  of  law  might  be  conveyed,  even  in 
a  choice  and  clear  style,  without  any  quaintness,  abruptness,  or 
tedious  repetition ;  and,  like  other  subjects  of  less  gravity,  Lord 
Mansfield  delivered  his  opinions  hi  the  best  phraseology  the  English 
language  would  permit  of  in  argument  or  illustration.  The  law- 
yers of  our  own  country  were  men  of  learning  before  the  revolu- 
tion, but  the  manner  of  arguing  at  the  bar,  to  the  court  or  jury,  was 
not  remarkable  for  refinement  or  delicacy.  Coarse  attacks  and 
sharp  retorts  were  common  between  members  of  the  bar ;  and  the 
court  either  maintained  a  hard-featured  silence,  or  broke  in  upon 
their  sparrings  with  surly  dignity.  That  gentlemanly  courtesy, 
which  reigns  from  one  part  of  our  country  to  another,  among 
judges  and  advocates,  was,  for  many  years,  unknown,  or  thought 
improper  for  a  tribunal  of  justice.  Not  only  the  arguments  of 
counsel,  but  the  opinions  of  the  bench,  are  now  given  with  some  re- 
gard to  literary  taste ;  and  one  not  acquainted  with  law  terms,  may 
read  the  reports  without  being  offended  with  a  parade  of  technical 
terms  or  involved  sentences.  This  branch  of  science  is  rapidly  in- 
creasing ;  already  we  have  more  than  three  hundred  volumes  of 
American  reports  in  law  and  equity ;  and,  as  the  present  generation 
of  lawyers  must  go  thnnigh  such  a  mass  of  American  law  deci- 
sions, it  is  fortunate  that  some  regard  has  been  paid  to  the  style  in 
which  these  cases  are  made  up.  Some  of  these  opinions  might  be 
selected,  which  have  the  freshness  and  spirit  of  animated  truth  con- 
veyed in  exquisite  taste.  Facts  are  not  the  less  forcible,  because 
they  are  happily  arranged,  nor  reasonings  less  convincing,  because 
they  are  well  expressed.  The  professional  men  are  trying  to  dif- 
fuse as  much  intelligence  and  taste  in  the  community  as  possible,  in 
order  that  a  day  of  purer  literature  should  succeed.  Much  has  been 
done,  and  much  more  has  been  planned  to  be  effected  hereafter ;  the 


116  LECTURES  ON 

numerous  agents  are  busy,  and  in  concert  and  harmony,  hi  the 
great  work  of  spreading  the  sciences  and  literature  throughout  the 
land. 

The  literature  of  theology  in  this  country  suffered,  as  well  as  the 
literature  and  science  of  other  professions,  during  the  revolution. 
The  pulpit  rang  with  patriotism  and  politicks,  and  harangues  upon 
the  good  and  sound  Christian  duty  of  fighting  for  freedom ;  all  very 
excellent  lessons  for  the  times,  and  which  certainly  had  their  uses. 
After  the  warning  appeals  to  the  brave  defenders  of  the  country,  it 
was  dull  to  go  back  to  detailing  the  enormities  of  papal  power,  or 
speaking  of  the  gi-eat  beast  of  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  ;  there- 
fore his  holiness  was  left  quite  alone,  except  now  and  then  in  some 
good  man's  form  of  prayer,  from  which  the  epithets  of  abhorrence 
for  Babylon  never  had  been  expunged.  Dissertations  on  Antino- 
mians.  Pelagians,  and  all  the  host  of  sectarians,  had  begun  to  grow 
stale,  and  the  doctrines  of  eternal  decrees  and  predestination  were 
not  so  attractive  to  the  new  generations  as  they  had  been  to  their 
fathers.  From  all  appearances,  the  timid  began  to  fear  that  the  pul- 
pit had  lost  its  legitimate,  primitive  influences.  Under  this  impres- 
sion, many  were  turned  from  the  study  of  this  profession,  who 
were  intended  for  it  by  their  parents,  and  engaged  in  medicine  or 
law.  At  this  weak  moment,  if  the  defenders  of  the  faith  will  allow 
that  there  ever  were  such  moments,  infidelity  reared  its  mon- 
strous head,  and  stalked  through  our  part  of  Christendom  with  gi- 
gantick  strides ;  but,  as  it  has  often  happened,  that  which  threatened 
destruction  to  the  altar  and  the  priest,  was  the  cause  of  giving  new  and 
lasting  honour  to  both.  Infidelity  had  for  years  been  disseminated  by 
the  philosophers  into  inquisitive  minds,  but  had  never  come  upon 
us  in  the  form  of  popular  eloquence,  and  had  not  reached  common 
minds  engaged  in  ordinary  pursuits,  until  about  the  time  of  the 
French  revolution ;  it  now  came  under  the  potential  form  of  supe- 
riour  wisdom,  free  from  the  thraldom  of  error.  It  dealt  out  a 
strong  denial  of  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel,  and  made  impu- 
dence, with  now  and  then  a  flash  of  witty  scurrility,  pass  for  com- 
mon sense  and  true  reasoning  upon  the  revelations  of  God  to  man, 
through  nature  and  her  laws,  and  by  the  inspirations  of  holy  writ. 
At  first,  great  shipwreck  was  made  of  the  faith  of  thousands ;  the 
weak  were  bewildered,  and  the  unlearned  entangled.  The  truly 
pious  still  believed  that  the  church  was  built  upon  a  rock,  and  that 
the  gates  of  hell  should  not,  finally,  prevail  against  it,  yet  they  were 
discouraged  at  the  progress  of  infidelity,  and  were  cut  to  the  heart 
at  hearing  the  authenticity  of  the  scriptures  doubted,  and  the  minis- 
ters of  our  holy  religion  ridiculed  in  every  possible  form  of  con- 
tempt ;  called  by  opprobrious  epithets ;  charged  with  ignorance  and 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  H7 

hypocrisy ;  and  their  downfall  prophesied  with  confidence  and  joy. 
For  a  while  there  was  some  confusion  in  the  church,  but  the  purest 
men  soon  roused  themselves  from  idleness,  or  rather  from  idle  dis- 
putes about  trifles,  or  non-essentials,  and  many  of  them  plunged 
into  the  depths  of  learning,  to  answer  the  falsehoods  and  sneers  of 
the  scoffers,  who  laid  pretensions  to  having  penetrated  into  the  re- 
cesses of  oriental  literature,  and  having  detected  the  errours  of  Chris- 
tianity. The  contest  was  animated,  and  the  ministers  of  light 
struggled  hard  with  the  ministers  of  darkness.  Great4  minds  en- 
tered the  contest,  and,  after  a  while,  the  dreams  of  Condorcet  and 
the  scurrilities  of  Paine,  were  swept  away  together,  and  infidelity 
was  first  scouted  by  learning,  piety,  and  taste,  and,  at  length,  pro- 
scribed by  the  irresistible  power  of  fashion.  The  works  of  Watson 
and  Tytler,  and,  towards  the  close  of  the  struggle,  of  many  others, 
were  found,  not  only  in  the  hands  of  the  polemick,  or  in  the  library 
of  the  speculative,  but  on  the  toilets  of  the  fair,  with  the  last  work 
of  the  imagination  from  Southey  or  Campbell ;  for  the  ecclesiastical 
writers  had  added  to  the  science  of  theology  the  most  sublime  of 
all  contemplations,  the  charms  of  literature  and  taste.  The  reading 
and  thinking  part  of  the  community  were  delighted  to  witness  the 
commencement  of  a  new  era  hi  the  rhetorick,  eloquence,  and  logick 
of  the  pulpit ;  useless  divisions  and  subdivisions,  and  their  scholastick 
divinity,  with  loose  and  spongy  declamation,  gave  place  to  fair,  in- 
ductions, correct  illustrations,  and  philanthropick  views.  The  ways 
of  God  to  man  were  satisfactorily  justified  to  the  understandings  of 
the  mighty  in  intellect,  and  to  the  humble  and  lowly  seekers  of  the 
truth.  Religion  wore  the  smile  of  innocence  and  the  robe  of  purity, 
as  she  was  destined  to  do  from  the  beginning.  The  charms  of  a 
delicate  and  finished  literature  now  came  from  the  pulpit,  and  the 
temple  of  God  became,  as  it  ought  ever  to  be,  a  place  of  instruction 
for  the  mind  and  for  the  affections,  as  well  as  for  learning  the  great 
doctrines  of  salvation. 


118  LECTURES  ON 

LECTURE  VIII. 


"The  poet  grieves  to  find  his  page  grow  scant, 
And  he  must  stint  the  praise  of  those  he  loves ; 
Nor  number  half  that  cluster  round  his  pen." 

AMONG  the  literati  of  our  country,  in  the  different  ages  of  her  growth, 
may  be  numbered  many  eminent  physicians,  who  were  not  only 
useful  in  their  profession,  but  distinguished  for  a  spirit  of  inquiry 
and  a  knowledge  of  letters.  At  the  first  settlement  of  the  provinces, 
the  clergy  were  the  physicians,  and  often  the  surgeons  of  the  com- 
munity. They  practised,  in  general,  without  fees,  from  a  religious 
belief  that  they  ought  not  to  receive  any  compensation  for  their  ser- 
vices, as  what  they  could  do  for  the  body  was  intimately  connected 
with  the  cure  of  souls.  This  union  of  the  professions  had  long 
been  in  use  in  Europe.  The  confessors  of  the  convents  and  monas- 
teries had  made,  in  many  orders,  the  healing  art  a  part  of  their 
vows;  and  after  the  suppression  of  the  religious  houses  in  England, 
by  Henry  VIII.,  the  clergy  still  continued  the  art  among  the  people ; 
and,  after  the  reformation  was  entirely  effected,  kept  up  the  custom 
without  any  dread  from  the  bulls  against  the  practice  of  dissection. 

The  first  settlers  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  Bay,  as  well  as 
those  of  Jamestown,  had  physicians  and  surgeons  with  them.  Ga- 
ger,  an  eminent  surgeon,  came  to  Charleston  in  1630,  but  soon  fell 
a  victim  to  what  has  since  been  called  the  spotted  fever.  He  prac- 
tised physick  as  well  as  surgery.  Firmin,  a  physician  and  surgeon, 
in  1639,  was  settled  at  Ipswich,  but  left  the  profession  for  that  of 
divinity,  which  was  the  safest  road  to  distinction  in  those  days. 

The  skill  of  the  early  physicians  was  speedily  put  to  the  test,  for, 
besides  the  fevers  incident  to  the  hard  living  of  new  settlers,  the 
small-pox  and  yellow  fever  were  soon  brought  among  them  from  the 
West-Indies ;  and,  after  several  years,  the  "  cynanche  maligna"  baf- 
fled all  their  skill  for  a  time.  The  measles,  often  an  obstinate  dis- 
ease, was  constantly  among  the  new  settlements.  The  yellow  fever, 
which  we  now  trust  has  left  for  ever  most  of  our  cities,  prevailed,  in 
its  most  malignant  form,  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1699, 
1703,  1732,  1739,  1740,  1745,  1748; -and  Dr.  Harris  says  it  was 
there  in  1761  and  1764.  This  fever  prevailed  in  Philadelphia  in 
1741,  1747,  1762,  and  1793 ;  in  New- York  in  1792,  1798,  and  several 
times  since.  Hutchenson  says,  that,  as  early  as  1693,  it  was  preta- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  119 

lent  in  Boston.  It  came  from  the  West-Indies  in  the  fleet  of  Sir 
Francis  Wheeler,  which  was  sent  from  that  station  to  join  the  New- 
England  forces,  destined  against  Quebeck.  This  fleet  lost  1300 
sailors  out  of  2100,  and  1800  soldiers  out  of  2400.  Previous  to  this 
period,  a  disease  swept  through  the  country  in  1647 ;  its  precise 
character  has  never  been  known ;  the  Indians  fell  victims  to  it,  as 
well  as  the  European  colonists ;  and  in  1655  it  was  nearly  as  exten- 
sive and  fatal.  The  small-pox  was  a  great  scourge  ;  it  prevailed  in 
Boston  in  1689,  1702,  1721, 1730,  1752, 1764, 1776,  and  in  1792;  and 
the  probability  is,  that  it  was  as  frequent  in  other  cities.  We  state 
these  facts,  to  show  that  there  were  constantly  subjects  for  the  inqui- 
ries of  the  medical  mind;  and  as  early  as  1647,  Thomas  Thatcher, 
of  Weymouth,  in  Massachusetts,  turned  his  attention  to  the  subjects 
of  diseases,  and  wrote  a  treatise  on  the  small-pox  and  measles,  call- 
ed "a  brief  guide  in  the  small-pox  and, measles."  He  was  a  great 
man,  learned  as  a  mathematician,  and  a  practical  mechanick,  whose 
inventive  genius  was  equal  to  his  scientifick  acquirements.  He  was 
also  a  profound  oriental  scholar,  and  had  explored  all  the  wisdom 
of  the  East  in  the  healing  art.  This  treatise  of  Thatcher's  was  pro- 
bably the  first  book  written  in  this  country,  upon  any  of  the  diseases 
incident  to  it.  This  eminent  physician,  scholar,  and  divine,  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-eight ;  a  greater  man  than  whom,  this  country  has 
not  since  produced.  At  this  time,  some  of  the  physicians  educated 
abroad,  attracted  by  the  novelty  of  a  new  country,  or  dissatisfied 
with  the  old  world,  came  among  our  ancestors  to  diffuse  their  in- 
formation, and  to  find  new  sources  of  knowledge.  Robert  Child, 
educated  at  the  university  of  Padua,  came  to  Massachusetts  as  early 
as  1646.  The  name  of  this  physician  was  connected  with  an  at- 
tempt made  to  diffuse  a  spirit  of  religious  toleration,  which  received 
the  censures  of  the  magistrates,  but  which  may  form  his  eulogium 
now,  however  severe  they  were  thought  to  be  at  that  time.  The 
next  physician  and  surgeon  of  note  in  our  annals,  is  Gershom  Bulk- 
ley,  of  Connecticut,  son  of  the  learned  Mr.  Bulkley,  of  Concord,  in 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  clergyman ;  in  Philip's  war  of  1676,  was 
appointed  surgeon  to  the  Connecticut  troops,  and  such  was  the 
confidence  of  the  legislature  in  his  abilities,  that  he  was  made,  by 
their  order,  one  of  the  council  of  war. 

The  next  publication  from  a  professor  of  medicine,  that  I  can 
find,  but  probably  my  researches  may  not  have  been  so  thorough 
on  this  subject  as  on  some  other  subjects,  was  one  of  Dr.  Douglass' 
on  the  small-pox,  whose  character  I  have  sketched  in  a  former  lec- 
ture. He  was  opposed  to  inoculation,  and  ridiculed  Boyleston, 
who  was  there  in  1721,  introducing  the  practice  of  it.  This  pro- 
voked Boyleston  to  a  defence.  Cotton  Mather  had  his  share  in  tho 


120  LECTURES  ON 

dispute ;  he  was  in  favour  of  the  practice.  At  this  time,  Nathaniel 
Williams,  a  clergyman,  a  schoolmaster,  successor  to  old  master 
Cheever,  and  a  distinguished  physician  also,  being  a  good-natured 
man,  wrote  a  humourous  dialogue  upon  this  dispute,  entitled  "Mun- 
dungus,  Sawney,  Academicus,  a  debate ;"  these  names  glanced  at 
the  different  characters  who  had  been  distinguished  in  the  dispute ; 
and  it  is  said  to  contain  the  arguments  on  both  sides  of  the  question, 
as  far  as  facts  had  then  developed  principles.  The  old  physicians 
spoke  of  this  work  with  great  respect.  Williams  was  a  man  of  such 
benevolence  and  sincerity,  that  in  that  day  of  gratuitous  epithets,  he 
was  called  "  the  beloved  physician."  The  next  work  was  a  treatise 
on  pharmacy,  by  Thomas  Harwood,  a  good  medical  writer  of  some 
eminence.  This  work  was  published  in  1732.  In  1740,  Dr.  Thomas 
Cadwallader  published  an  essay  on  the  "  Iliack  Passion,"  which  gave 
him  great  celebrity  in  this  country  and  in  England.  In  1745,  he 
published  some  medical  papers  in  the  "  Royal  Transactions,  Lon- 
don." This  was  the  mode  pursued  by  eminent  physicians  in  this 
country  ;  for  the  fact  of  appearing  in  such  a  publication,  was  suffi- 
cient to  ensure  the  attention  of  the  publick,  or  that  part  of  it  one 
would  wish  to  attract.  Dr.  Cadwallader  was  one  of  the  first  profes- 
sors in  the  medical  art,  who,  in  this  country,  taught  his  pupils  from 
hospital  practice  ;  being  one  of  the  visiting  physicians  in  the  Phila- 
delphia hospital,  which  was  founded  in  1752. 

Previously,  the  subject  of  plants  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
men  fond  of  pursuing  nature  in  "  the  herb  and  flower."  Mark  Cates- 
by  had  the  honour  of  being  among  the  first  engaged  in  this  pur- 
suit in  this  country.  He  was  sagacious  and  indefatigable,  but  his 
works  are  far  inferior  to  Clayton's  Flora  Virginiana.  The  history  of 
the  labours  of  this  great  botanical  work  is  very  singular.  The  art 
of  printing  and  engraving  in  this  country,  would  not  admit  of  print- 
ing a  flora  here ;  he  therefore  sent  his  production  to  Leyden,  to  pro- 
fessor Gronovius,  who  published  it  in  several  editions  ;  the  first  of 
them  in  1739,  the  second  in  1743,  the  third  in  1762.  Clayton  began 
this  work  in  1705,  when  the  forests  were  extensive,  and  when  the 
lily  of  the  valley  and  the  mountain  daisy  breathed  their  fragrance 
on  the  same  gale.  Dudley  and  Douglass,  whom  we  have  named 
before,  were  at  the  same  time  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit.  Clay- 
ton's descriptions  of  the  plants  he  collected  are  remarkable  for 
neatness  and  accuracy,  and  often  beautiful  and  elegant.  It  is  a 
fact  worthy  of  notice,  that  some  of  the  finest  descriptions  to  be 
found  any  where,  are  in  the  works  of  naturalists  and  botanists. 
Some  descriptions  of  plants  by  Linnaeus,  Darwin,  and  their  fellow- 
labourers  in  the  garden  of  nature,  are  models  of  beauty ;  and  what 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  121 

can  surpass  in  splendour  Buffon's  description  of  the  horse,  the  pea- 
cock, and  the  eagle  ? 

Every  part  of  our  country  puts  in  just  claims  for  distinction  in 
the  medical  profession;  Doctor  William  Ball,  of  South  Carolina,  who 
was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  college,  defended  a  medical  thesis, 
with  ability,  at  Leyden,  in  1734.  He  was  for  many  years  eminent 
in  his  native  state.  Doctors  Thomas  Bond,  and  Middleton,  made  the 
first  publick  dissection,  in  1750.  This  was  done  by  leave  of  a  court 
of  law.  Josiah  Bartlett,  of  Exeter,  New-Hampshire,  wrote  on  the 
"  cynanche  maligna,"  which  had  been  prevalent  in  New-England ; 
and  John  Jones  wrote  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolutionary 
war,  a  treatise  "  on  wounds  and  fractures,"  for  the  use  of  the  army. 
I  have  collected  these  facts,  with  many  others  that  I  shall  not  trouble 
you  with,  respecting  the  medical- faculty,  simply  to  show  that  this 
profession  has  had  its  share  in  the  literature  of  our  country.  Within 
the  half  century,  it  is  well  known  that  in  Europe  and  this  country, 
they  have  raised  the  standard  of  the  profession,  by  banishing,  as  far 
as  possible,  all  empyricism  from  their  borders.  This  is  a  profession 
in  which  ignorance  has  heretofore  so  often  hid  herself,  and  gulled 
the  world  by  pretensions,  that  the  satirists  have  in  every  age,  poured 
out  upon  it  their  surcharged  vials  of  wrath ;  but  the  historian  now 
sharpens  his  pen  to  write  their  praise.  Hippocrates  describes  a 
quack,  as  a  being  "  no  laws  could  reach,  and  no  ignominy  disgrace." 
The  medical  profession  has  often  wisely  resorted  to  letters  for  im- 
mortality. It  is  not  the  cure,  but  the  record  of  it  only,  that  we  can 
see.  To  prove  the  altitude  of  the  medical  character  in  our  country, 
we  need  only  look  to  the  earliest  medical  school  in  America.  When, 
in  1768,  a  medical  college  was  established  at  Philadelphia,  what  a 
cluster  of  distinguished  men  were  collected  to  give  it  popularity. 
Shippen,  Cadwallader,  and  a  host  of  others,  were  ready  and  active 
ministers  of  science  to  diffuse  its  advantages.  "  A  good  physician" 
(says  the  scriptures)  is  from  the  Lord ;  and  to  continue  the  oriental 
phraseology — a  Hospital  well  regulated,  and  bountifully  endowed 
to  heal  the  maladies  of  the  mind  and  body,  may  be  said  to  be  a  per- 
petiial  lamp  of  life  in  the  temple  of  nature  ;  and  those  whose  duty 
it  is  to  watch,  should  never  slumber  or  sleep  on  their  posts. 

At  the  time  of  the  revolution,  there  were  a  goodly  number  of 
active  men  in  the  profession  of  medicine,  who  took  a  part  in  the 
conflict.  Warren,  Church,  Bull,  Finch,  and  others,  had  taken  the 
place  of  Perkins,  Cutter,  Clarke,  and  others,  in  Massacl m setts ;  and 
in  other  States,  there  were  also  many  of  the  physicians  who  were 
an  effective  and  active  class  of  men.  They  had  defects,  no  doubt,  in 
their  education,  for  they  had  many  difficulties  to  contend  with,  but 
none  that  could  not  be  overcome.  Many  of  them  had  distinguished 
16 


123  LECTURES  ON 

themselves  by  their  writings  in  favour  of  civil  liberty,  and  it  was 
necessary  for  them  to  push  forward  and  take  an  active  part.  Some 
of  them  entered  the  army  professionally,  and  others  gave  up  the 
lancet  for  the  sword.  Among  the  officers  of  the  army  of  the  revo- 
lution, whose  profession  had  been  that  of  physick,  were,  Warren, 
Mercer,  St.  Clair,  Gadsden,  Cobb,  Brooks,  Bricket ;  and  who  were 
braver  than  they  ?  In  political  life,  the  profession  has  been  conspi- 
cuous;  before  the  adoption  of  the  federal  constitution,  the  profession 
could  number  some  of  the  first  men  in  Congress  from  their  body. 
And  since  the  constitution  has  been  in  operation,  there  have  been  also 
many  of  distinction  in  publick  life.  As  orators,  there  has  been  no 
small  share  of  eloquence  among  them.  This  has  been  proved  in 
the  halls  of  legislation  often,  but  more  often,  and  more  happily,  in 
the  lecture  room ;  there  the  subjects  are  neither  artificial  nor  con- 
ventional, but  natural,  and  nature  makes  her  votaries  eloquent. 

As  poets  as  well  as  warriors,  the  medical  faculty  has  been  distin- 
guished. We  have,  in  our  account  of  American  poets,  mentioned 
Hopkins,  Church,  Warren,  Ladd,  Bryant.  Shaw,  Boyd,  Percival,  and 
other  bards,  who,  while  they  plucked  the  misletoe  as  Druids,  ana- 
lysed, as  chemists  and  philosophers,  the  nut  gall  of  the  same  oak  on 
which  the  parasite  had  grown.  It  is  impossible  to  mention  all  in  a 
short  course  of  lectures;  but  I  cannot  pass  over  some  names 
without  paying  a  tribute  to  their  virtues,  if  it  be  only  in  a  hasty  breath. 
In  every  great  enterprise,  more  depends  upon  the  character  of  the 
few  who  zealously  engage  in  it,  than  upon  the  many,  who  may  take 
cursory  and  imperfect  views  of  it,  and  with  only  faint  motives  for 
its  prosperity.  It  was  fortunate,  that  such  a  man  as  Rush  should 
have  been  found  at  the  close  of  the  revolution,  to  assist  in  building 
up  an  American  school  of  medicine.  He  was  fitted  for  the  task. 
His  temperament  was  ardent,  and  his  feelings  enthusiastick ;  he 
had  the  rare  faculty  of  communicating  this  enthusiasm  to  others ; 
and  his  pupils  pursued  their  inquiries  with  an  impetus,  derived  from 
him,  which  carried  them  rapidly  and  pleasantly  through  the  laby- 
rinths of  science.  His  "eloquence,  his  arguments,  and  his  love  of 
labour,  did  much  to  break  the  spell  which  hung  over  the  profession, 
"  t hat  no  man  could  be  qualified  for  a  professor,  in  any  of  the 
branches  of  medicine,  who  had  not  been  in  a  foreign  school."  He 
taught  that  nature  was  the  same  in  every  country,  and  that  when 
she  was  properly  interrogated,  her  responses  would  be  the  same  at 
all  times. 

The  medical  school  at  New- York  has  had  a  share  of  the  intel- 
ligence of  the  country  in  every  stage  of  its  growth ;  James,  Middle- 
ton,  and  others,  distinguished  in  their  day,  have  been  succeeded  by 
men  of  science  and  letters. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  123 

The  medical  school  of  Harvard  University,  was  in  contemplation 
for  many  years,  and  liberal  donations  had  been  made  for  the  purpose 
of  its  establishment,  but  the  situation  of  the  country  forbade  its  com- 
mencement until  1782.  Doctor  John  Warren,  brother  of  General 
Warren  who  fell  at  Bunkcrhill,  ardent  in  his  patriotism  as  any  man 
that  ever  lived,  who  entered  the  army  as  a  common  soldier  after  the 
death  of  his  brother,  probably  from  the  strong  excitement  at  this 
event,  and  continued  in  it  as  a  surgeon  for  several  years,  was  at 
the  head  of  this  school.  He  had  at  this  time  left  the  army  and 
settled  in  Boston,  in  hi»  profession,  among  his  brother's  friends,  and 
had  before  1782  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  on  anatomy.  The 
students  of  Harvard  University  had  an  opportunity  of  attending 
them.  When  the  school  was  opened  at  Cambridge  within  the  col- 
lege walls,  Warren  was  put  at  the  head  of  the  newly  established  in- 
stitution, and  Doctors  Dexter  and  Waterhouse  were  also  appointed 
professors.  Doctor  Warren  was  well  qualified  for  this  important 
situation ;  he  had  genius,  patience,  industry,  and  eloquence,  and  all 
were  required  for  the  commencement  of  such  a  school.  He  secured 
the  understanding  of  his  hearers,  while  he  charmed  their  imagina- 
tions, and  without  a  struggle  he  led  them  through  the  course  of  his 
lectures  with  pleasure,  admiration,  and  profit.  The  army  had  been 
a  good  school  for  him,  for  there  he  had  witnessed  the  diseases  of 
camps  and  the  wounds  of  battles,  and  no  lesson  was  lost  on  such  a 
mind.  He,  like  Rush,  had  the  faculty  of  inspiring  his  pupils  with 
love,  confidence,  and  admiration,  and,  at  the  same  time,  with  an 
ardent  passion  to  excel  in  their  profession.  The  influence  of  his  ex- 
ample was  more  powerful  than  his  precepts,  in  teaching  the  many 
axioms  he  wished  to  inculcate.  Independent  of  his  professional 
fame,  he  has  left  some  excellent  specimens  of  his  taste  and  talents  as 
a  classical  writer.  He  has  left  a  son  who  is  among  the  first  of  his 
profession,  and  who  does  great  credit  to  the  advantages  which  his 
father  gave  him,  and  who,  by  his  attention  to  the  progress  of  know- 
ledge, has  quartered  new  honours  on  his  arms  as  a  professional  man. 

The  medical  school  of  Dartmouth  College  was  the  fourth  institu- 
tion of  the  kind  which  was  founded  in  this  country.  In  1798,  Dr. 
Nathan  Smith  was  appointed  sole  professor,  and  for  many  years 
lectured  on  all  the  usual  branches  of  medicine  taught  in  a  course  of 
medical  instruction.  This  was  indeed  a  Herculean  task,  but  he  met 
it  manfully,  passing  from  one  subject  to  another  with  astonishing 
ease.  His  labours  were  often  embarrassed  by  the  cavils  of  the  sus- 
picious and  envious  ;  but  he  marched  on,  in  the  dignity  of  conscious 
genius,  and  conquered  a  prejudice  at  every  step.  He,  too,  had  a 
spice  of  that  enthusiasm  which  distinguished  his  great  predecessors 
and  coadjutors  in  the  task  of  building  up  the  schools  of  medicine. 


124  AMERICAN  LITERATURE. 

He,  too,  had  eloquence  to  assist  him  in  making  his  way  against  a 
thousand  evils.  He  passed  from  the  grave  to  the  pleasant  with 
such  readiness,  that  the  delicate  shades  of  the  transitions  were  not 
always  noticed ;  but  when  the  history  of  our  great  men  is  written 
out,  the  enterprise,  genius,  perseverance,  and  success  of  Dr.  Nathan 
Smith,  will  be  remembered  by  every  lover  of  science. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  speak  of  others,  or  to  follow  up  the 
progress  of  the  healing  art  to  the  present  day,  as  this  has  been  done 
with  great  ability  by  several  distinguished  medical  gentlemen ;  my 
only  object  in  these  details  being  to  show  the  course  of  intelligence 
in  this  country,  in  this  department  of  knowledge,  as  well  as  in  other 
branches  which  are  more  directly  in  our  path,  in  the  pursuit  of 
whatever  can  give  us  pleasure,  intelligence,  or  profit. 

One  other  memorable  name  I  must  here  mention :  the  patri- 
arch of  the  physicians  of  the  present  age,  Dr.  Holyoke,  has  just  gone 
down  to  the  tomb,  having  numbered  among  men  more  than  an 
hundred  years.  He  lived  in  an  eventful  period,  for  during  his  time, 
the  various  branches  of  his  profession  had  advanced  more  than  for 
twenty  preceding  centuries ;  and  yet,  it  may  be  said,  that  he  not 
only  knew  what  had  previously  been  taught,  but  had  kept  up  with 
the  progress  of  knowledge  to  the  last  year  of  his  life.  I  first  knew 
him  when  he  was  near  eighty,  healthy  and  intellectual,  and  anxious 
to  be  possessed  of  all  that  was  going  on  in  the  literary  and  scientifick 
world,  as  well  as  of  all  matters  in  his  own  profession.  He  acquired 
information  with  great  ease ;  for  besides  a  natural  quickness  of  per- 
ception, he  had  a  thorough  early  education ;  for  being  the  son  of  a 
literary  man,  he  was  made  a  scholar  from  the  cradle  ;  was  graduated 
from  college  early  in  life,  and  commenced  his  professional  career  while 
in  his  minority.  He  made  it,  for  many  years,  a  practice  to  read  some 
portion  of  the  classicks  daily  ;  but  his  mind  was  rather  mathemati- 
cal, inquisitive,  and  philosophical,  than  creative  or  tasteful ;  not  that 
he  was  deficient  in  imagination  or  taste,  but  these  properties  of  the 
mind  were  not  his  distinguishing  characteristicks. 

His  moral  and  social  habits  were  commendable  and  attractive  ; 
for  a  pure  philanthropy  was  seen  running  through  the  whole  course 
of  his  conduct.  His  disposition  was  bland  and  fraternal ;  and  like 
moat  tnie  philosophers,  he  loved  to  find  himself  surrounded  by 
young,  vigorous,  fruitful  minds ;  and  in  the  early  times,  when  cus- 
tom had  established  an  awful  distance  between  master  and  pupil,  he 
drew  his  so  near  him  by  the  cords  of  affection,  that  he  had  no  difficulty 
in  ascertaining  the  number  of  their  talents,  and  the  weight  of  their  ar- 
guments. He  was  singular,  perhaps,  in  making  Euclid  a  part  of  their 
professional  studies ;  but  he  examined  them  as  often  in  this  work  as 
in  Hippocrates ;  and  it  was  a  maxim  with  him,  which  he  constantly 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  125 

gave  to  his  pupils,  -never  lose  sight  of  ancient  philosophy  in  modern 
improvements;  yet  he  rejoiced  in  all  the  lights  that  were  bursting 
in  upon  the  profession  of  medicine  and  surgery ;  and  he  was  not  far 
behind  the  reformers  themselves,  in  adopting  whatever  was  found 
salutary  by  a  well  tried  practice ;  and  he  was  an  admirable  judge 
of  what  was  good,  for  he  brought  an  honest  and  serene  mind  to  bear 
upon  every  subject  of  discussion.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  bril- 
liant theories  unassisted  by  well  tested  facts,  properly  authenticated 
by  careful  and  intelligent  men,  competent  in  every  respect  to  decide 
a  case  upon  professional  and  philosophical  principles. 

He  never  sought  honours  or  distinctions,  and  never  meddled  with 
politicks  any  farther  than  to  show  his  patriotism,  and  his  willingness 
to  trust  his  fortune  and  freedom  with  others  of  his  choice.  A  deep 
sense  of  duty  sometimes  brought  him  out ;  for  there  were  some 
situations  he  could  not  refuse — such  as  that  of  president  of  the  Ame- 
rican Academy ;  and  also  that  of  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
Medical  Society,  when  it  was  first  organized  ;  but  the  greatest  por- 
tion of  his  time  was  devoted  to  his  professional  duties.  His  publi- 
cations were  not  numerous,  but  were  of  a  very  high  character  for  a 
careful  arrangement  of  facts,  and  a  pure  induction  of  principles. 

Such  a  protracted  life  as  Dr.  Holyoke's— a  union  of  a  sound  mind 
with  a  healthy  body,  is  seldom  enjoyed  by  man  in  the  present  age. 
Indeed,  it  has  rarely  happened  that  any  seer,  or  sage,  at  any  period 
of  time,  since  the  days  of  the  primitive  patriarchs,  has  been  permitted 
to  look  on,  or  mingle  in  the  affairs  of  men,  active  and  strong,  for 
more  than  thirty  years  beyond  the  threescore  and  ten— that  boun- 
dary in  the  revised  code  of  nature.  It  is  pleasant,  however,  now 
and  then,  to  contemplate  the  course  of  such  a  favoured  being ; — a 
philosopher,  philanthropist,  and  Christian,  who  had  reasoned  so 
much,  and  felt  and  acted  so  long ;  one  whose  disciples  of  every  age, 
from  decrepitude  to  youth,  were  around  him ;  from  those  who  had 
thrown  the  lancet  and  the  bolus  aside,  to  young  aspirants  for  Escu- 
lapian  honours,  in  whose  trembling  hands  these  emblems.of  art  and 
science  were  yet  unused.  To  exhibit  such  a  character  fully  is  dif- 
ficult, if  not  impossible  ;  there  seems  to  be  nothing  in  the  common 
pathway  of  our  experience  for  illustration ;  nothing  to  liken  him 
to.;-.we  turn  necessarily  to  the  muses  for  aid,  and  adopting  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Persian  poet,  say,  that  such  a  man  resembles  the  god 
of  day  lingering  long  in  the  western  skies  to  catch  the  incense  and 
to  receive  thg  homage  of  the  flowers  as  they  gratefully  turn  to  him 
in  his  decline  ;  flowers  which  his  warmer  rays  had  awakened  to  life 
and  beauty ;  or  to  soar  to  higher  similitudes  in  the  regions  of  inspi- 
ration and  prophesy,  a  hale,  virtuous,  intellectual  man  of  an  hundred 
years  old,  communing  with  heaven  and  dispensing  wisdom  on  earth, 
L2 


126  LECTURES  ON 

who  seems  to  have  the  power  and  favour  of  the  GOD  OF  ISRAEL 
vouchsafed  to  him,  to  stay  the  course  of  time,  and  to  say,  "  Sun, 
stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon;  and  thou,  moon,  in  the  valley  of  Aja- 
lon,"  until  reason,  religion,  and  philosophy,  have  avenged  themselves 
on  their  enemies. 

In  quitting  this  class  of  intelligent  men,  we  pass  to  that  of  our 
historians,  particularly  those  who  have  written  since  the  revolution, 
as  we  have  mentioned  those  who  wrote  before  that  time ;  like  all 
others,  this  class  has  various  claims  to  distinction ;  most  of  them 
have  shown  some  industry  hi  collecting  materials,  and  some  few  of 
them  talents  for  arranging  them,  and  giving  them  in  a  proper  dress 
to  the  publick.  We  will  take  them  as  they  come  to  our  recollec- 
tion, without  regard  to  the  order  of  the  time  in  which  they  were 
written. 

Belknap's  history  of  New-Hampshire,  is  a  well  written  work ; 
the  author  was  a  good  scholar,  a  man  of  great  honesty  and  generous 
feelings ;  as  well  educated  for  an  historian  as  any  one  who  has  ever 
undertaken  the  task  in  this  country.  His  materials  were  scanty,  and 
scattered  over  a  thinly  settled  territory ;  one  half  of  what  was  to  be 
said  was  in  tradition,  and  the  other  on  scanty  records  ;  but  the  nar- 
rations were  honest  and  the  records  tnie ;  and  by  the  help  of  a  tho- 
rough knowledge  of  the  people,  and  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
contemporaneous  records,  he  was  enabled  to  get  at  the  truth,  and 
nearly  the  whole  truth ;  but  although  his  history  is  of  a  high  order, 
we  think  that  his  biographical  works  are  better  than  his  history  or 
his  sermons,  which  have  been  for  many  years  highly  valued.  Those 
who  knew  this  amiable  and  accomplished  writer,  will  hardly  hear 
a  criticism  upon  his  works ;  for  the  sweetness  of  his  disposition,  and 
the  blandishments  of  his  manners,  went  much  farther  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  character  than  the  elegance  of  his  pen. 

The  history  of  Maine,  by  Sullivan,  is  the  ground  work  for  a  future 
history  of  that  growing  state.  Sullivan  was  a  man  of  genius  and 
research;  but  was  too  much  employed  as  a  politician  and  a  lawyer, 
to  devote  much  time  to  literary  labours ;  but  if  he  did  not  find  time 
to  give  a  finishing  touch  to  his  history  of  that  province,  the  publick 
are  much  indebted  for  that  which  he  did  write. 

The  history  of  Massachusetts  has  been  more  fully  written  than 
that  of  any  other  province.  It  was  the  theatre  of  important  events, 
and  the  nursery  of  many  other  settlements  in  New-England,  and 
in  the  latter  period  of  more  distant  places.  After  the  lu'storians  we 
have  already  mentioned,  come  Hubbard's  History,  Church's  Indian 
Wars,  and  historical  sketches  of  a  smaller  kind.  There  are  many 
well  written  historical  works  of  particular  periods,  such  as  Minott's, 
Bradford's,  and  others.  Morse  and  Parish  have  written  a  school 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  127 

book  history  of  New-England,  and  Hannah  Adams  has  published 
a  very  neat  and  accurate  compendium  of  New-England  history. 
When  the  historian  shall  appear  to  write  a  full  account  of  us, 
there  will  be  found  many  excellent  materials  in  the  collections  of 
the  Massachusetts  historical  society.  It  is  a  subject  of  congratula- 
tion, that  other  states  are  following  the  example  of  Massachusetts, 
and  rescuing  from  oblivion  valuable  facts  for  the  future  historians  of 
our  country.  Our  activity  cannot  be  too  great,  for  every  hour  as  it 
passes  shrouds  some  circumstance  in  obscurity,  and  the  grave- 
digger,  time,  is  always  busy  in  burying  the  deeds  as  well  as  the  gene- 
rations of  man. 

The  history  of  Vermont  has  been  written  by  Professor  Williams, 
and  no  one  will  say  that  he  has  not  made  the  most  of  the  scanty 
materials  he  had  for  his  work.  When  he  wrote,  the  state  was  hi  its 
infancy.  It  would  be  well  now  to  continue  this  history ;  for  the 
rapid  growth  of  that  portion  of  our  country,  in  population,  wealth, 
and  intelligence,  has  made  its  history  a  subject  of  interest  and  in- 
quiry. 

The  history  of  Rhode  Island  has  not  yet  been  fully  written.  The 
great  father  of  toleration  in  this  country,  Roger  Williams,  made  that 
state,  as  is  well  known,  an  asylum  for  those  disturbed  by  the  narrow 
views  and  bigoted  feelings  of  other  states.  This  great  philanthro- 
pist, R.  Williams,  wrote  a  valuable  treatise  upon  the  language,  man- 
ners, and  customs  of  the  Indians  in  his  vicinity,  which,  after  having 
been  locked  up  for  ages  in  some  library  in  England,  has  at  length 
reached  us  as  a  matter  of  information  and  curiosity.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Callender  published  a  curious  sermon,  which,  when  enlarged,  made 
a  very  excellent  historical  sketch  of  Rhode  Island,  for  the  time. 
And  the  Hon.  Mr.  Hunter,  in  a  fourth  of  July  oration,  favoured  the 
publick  with  some  vivid  sketches  of  their  revolutionary  history ;  but 
it  remains  for  his  pen,  or  that  of  some  other  intelligent  Rhode 
Islander,  to  write  out  her  history. 

The  history  of  Connecticut  has  been  written  with  talents  and  taste, 
and  perhaps  as  minutely  as  was  required  at  the  time  when  Trum- 
bull  published  his  work.  The  old  libraries  of  the  ancient  families  of 
that  state  must  certainly  contain  matter  for  a  most  circumstantial 
and  minute  history  of  it.  The  first  settlers  were  of  a  literary 
class.  They  left  Massachusetts  to  take  up  their  residence  on  the 
Connecticut  and  the  Thames ;  and  carried  their  axes  on  their  shoul- 
ders, and  their  ink-horns  in  their  pockets ;  and  sat  down  to  write  a 
full  journal  of  their  travels  through  the  wilderness,  to  satisfy  the 
anxious  friends  they  left  at  Massachusetts  Bay,  before  they  had 
finished  the  log-hut  to  shelter  them  from  the  wind  and  rain. 

Of  the  history  of  New-York  it  may  be  said,  that  the  historian  did 


128  LECTURES  ON 

as  much  towards  making  a  good  history  as  could  be  expected  from 
any  one,  at  the  time  in  which  he  wrote ;  when  he  had  but  few  aids 
from  extensive  collections  of  books.  The  Dutch  history  of  the  co- 
lony, if  he  ever  saw  it,  was  probably  a  sealed  book  to  him,  from  an 
ignorance  of  the  language  in  which  it  was  written.  M'Cullock  has 
written  one  lately. 

The  history  of  New-Jersey  is  not  sufficiently  full  or  particular 
to  satisfy  the  age;— nor  can  that  of  Maryland  as  yet  lay  greater 
claims  to  distinction.  These  states  have  many  who  can  supply  all 
deficiencies  if  they  will  look  about. 

The  history  of  Virginia  has  been  written  at  different  periods,  by 
several  hands ;  Smith's,  Stith's,  and  Beverley's,  we  have  already 
noticed.  Burk  and  Geradin  have  continued  the  subject,  and  in  fact, 
have  gone  over  most,  or  all,  of  the  same  ground  with  their  prede- 
cessors. Mr.  Jefferson's  Notes  on  Virginia,  which  are  partly  statis- 
tical, as  well  as  historical,  are  highly  valuable  to  those  who  wish  to 
be  acquainted  with  that  state.  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  in  his  life  of 
Washington,  has  done  great  justice  to  the  history  of  Virginia.  It 
has  been  said  of  Caesar,  that  his  biography  was  the  history  of  Rome 
while  Ccesar  lived;  but  in  the  case  of  Washington,  the  biographer 
found  it  necessary  for  his  subject  to  write  nearly  the  whole  history 
of  his  country ;  this  is  a  great  work ;  it  has  nothing  in  it  of  the 
splendour  of  Robertson,  the  grandiloquence  of  Gibbon,  or  the 
sweetness  of  Goldsmith ;  but  it  is  a  monument  of  stability — a  pyra- 
mid of  granite,  of  majestick  dimensions,  that  will  stand  in  the  waste 
of  time  on  the  frontiers  of  our  history ;  but  ages  may  pass  away  be- 
fore the  merits  of  this  great  mental  labour  will  be  justly  appreciated. 

The  history  of  South  Carolina  is  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Ramsay. 
The  bare  mention  of  this  fact  is  sufficient  assurance  of  its  excellence. 
Dr.  Ramsay  possessed,  in  an  eminent  degree,  the  qualifications  of  an 
historian  ;  learning,  memory,  research,  readiness,  a  love  of  labour, 
with  an  easy,  elegant  style  of  composition,  and  a  mind  naturally 
active  and  free  from  prejudices.  The  history  of  the  American  war 
from  his  hand  is,  in  all  things  considered,  the  best  for  general  use 
extant  He  lived  in  the  time  in  which  he  wrote ;  "  all  of  which  he 
saw,  and  a  part  of  which  he  was,"  may  be  said  of  him,  in  connexion 
with  the  events  of  that  period.  He  had  means  which  other  historians 
did  not  enjoy,  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  principal  actors  in 
the  scenes  he  describes.  After  he  had  written  his  history,  the  manu- 
script was  read  to  those  capable  of  judging  of  its  correctness ;  and 
of  course,  any  errours  of  time  or  circumstance  were  detected  and 
corrected.  This  historian  did  not  stop  at  the  revolutionary  war,  but 
gave  his  country  an  account  of  her  history  from  the  earliest  settle- 
ments ;  and  then  a  succinct  universal  history,  most  happily  con- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  129 

densed.  Of  late  years,  Prentis,  Hale,  and  others,  have  written 
succinct  histories  of  the  United  States,  which  are  of  a  respectable 
character.  That  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Hale  received  a  premium  from 
some  historical  society,  for  its  superiority  over  others  as  adapted  to 
youths. 

The  productions  of  our  theologians,  perhaps,  have  not  been  so  nu- 
merous as  in  former  times ;  but  those  sermons  and  polemick  dis- 
cussions which  we  have  had  of  late,  are  marked  with  high  charae- 
teristicks  of  mind  and  taste.  Emmons,  Dwight,  Freeman,  Buck- 
minster,  Griffin,  and  many  others,  evince  deep  erudition  and  evan- 
gelical piety ;  and  the  controversial  writings  of  Channing,  Stewart, 
and  others,  who  have  lately  been  engaged  in  the  Unitarian  and  trini- 
tarian  controversy,  have  discovered  that  biblical  literature  is  a  fa- 
vourite study  among  the  clergy  of  the  present  day,  and  that  they 
have  pushed  their  examinations  into  other  times,  and  made  then*- 
selves  masters  of  ancient  lore.  If  some  are  grieved,  all  are  in- 
structed, and  a  free  inquiry  cannot  in  the  end  be  useless.  Irreve- 
rential  inquisitiveness  is  a  species  of  profanity,  but  a  holy  wrestling 
with  God  to  obtain  the  dispositions  of  his  nature,  and  the  determi- 
nations of  his  will,  is  the  amount  of  what  is  called  the  study  of 
theology,  which  is  at  once  the  prerogative  and  the  duty  of  intellec- 
tual beings.  We  have  now  in  this  country  more  than  seven  thousand 
teachers  of  divinity,  who  form  the  upper  class  of  instructors  hi  this 
community.  If  these  are  enlightened  as  they  should  be,  we  can- 
not perish  for  lack  of  vision. 

In  the  biographical  department  of  literature,  we  have  had  several 
writers  of  talents,  who  have  as  patiently  as  possible,  when  we  con- 
sider the  scanty  remuneration  they  generally  receive,  collected  facts 
for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  lives  of  some  of  our  distinguished 
men :  Belknap,  Elliott,  Allen,  Hardie,  and  several  others,  have  pub- 
lished their  collections,  much  to  the  advantage  of  the  commu- 
nity. Belknap  was  a  smooth  Addisonian  writer  of  great  sincerity 
and  faithfulness,  without  a  single  particle  of  bitterness  in  his  na- 
ture. He  wrote  his  faithful  chronicles  with  an  admiration  of  the 
great  discoverers  and  settlers  of  this  country ;  but  he  had  no  motive 
to  make  them  other  than  they  were.  These  lives  are  not  so  much 
known  and  read  as  they  would  have  been,  if  they  had  come  from 
some  ordinary  novelist,  and  had  been  portraits  of  fictitious  person- 
ages. 

Elliott  was  a  great  antiquarian,  and  a  very  honest  man ;  he  had 
treasured  up  a  great  many  facts,  and  knew  all  the  traditions  of  his 
country ;  but  he  knew  but  little  of  book-making,  and,  in  truth,  paid 
but  little  attention  to  the  style  of  his  sketches.  Dr.  Elliott  was  es- 
teemed, among  his  literary  friends,  as  a  most  admirable  antiquarian 
17 


130  LECTURES  ON 

and  a  fair-minded  critick ;  and  his  volume  of  biography,  although 
carelessly  written,  and  more  carelessly  printed,  will  do  honour  to  his 
memory,  and  will  be  in  the  hands  of  all  who  wish  to  know  any 
thing  of  the  character  of  the  early  worthies  of  New-England.  Allen 
was  educated  in  modern  times,  and  had  a  more  extensive  acquaint- 
ance with  facts  than  most  biographers.  He  was  patient  of  labour, 
and  collected  his  facts,  and  wrote  his  commentaries  upon  events,  and 
sketched  his  traits  of  character,  while  a  librarian  of  Cambridge  uni- 
versity, with  the  best  library  on  American  history  and  American 
biography  in  the  world,  at  his  full  command.  It  is  said,  that  the 
publick  are  soon  to  be  favoured  with  a  new  edition  of  this  work;  we 
hope  they  will  not  be  disappointed.  His  whole  life  has  been  devoted 
to  literary  pursuits  or  to  literary  duties,  and  there  are  but  few  more 
capable  of  doing  justice  to  the  mighty  dead  of  our  country  than 
President  Allen,  of  Maine. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  among  American  books  is  Holmes's 
Annals.  In  its  first  editions  it  was  a  very  correct  chronicle  of  suc- 
cessive events,  but  the  last  edition  is  enriched  by  biographical  no- 
tices and  pertinent  remarks,  and  is  not  only  history  in  itself,  but  a 
manual  for  future  historians.  Dr.  Holmes  is  a  profound  antiqua- 
rian and  a  sound  scholar,  and  is  happy  in  living  to  find  his  labours 
duly  appreciated. 

The  nine  volumes  of  the  lives  of  the  signers  of  the  declaration  of 
independence,  contain  no  small  share  of  fine  writing.  These  pro- 
ductions are  from  different  hands  and  of  unequal  excellence.  It  is 
well  to  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  these  worthies  at  one  view, 
and  to  be  able,  as  it  were,  to  enter  the  venerable  group  ;  but  as  the 
writers  were  necessarily  confined  to  one  signal  period  of  time,  that 
certainly  a  very  eventful  one,  the  information  conveyed  by  the  pe- 
rusal of  the  whole  is  not,  of  course,  so  great  nor  so  diversified  as  it 
would  have  been  had  the  writers  been  engaged  in  the  biography  of 
the  great  men  of  our  country  who  had  lived  in  different  epochs  of 
our  history. 

We  have  some  exquisite  morsels  of  single  biographical  sketches ; 
Kirkland's  Life  of  Ames  is  a  miniature  of  admirable  workmanship. 
The  shades  are  so  disposed  of  as  to  give  relief  to  the  prominent  fea- 
tures ;  the  true  evidence  of  a  master's  work.  Thatcher's  memoir  of 
Buckminster  is  of  the  same  class,  and,  perhaps,  superior  in  finish 
if  not  in  conception ;  and  Greenwood's  obituary  notice  of  Thatcher 
has  something  of  a  kindred  spirit  in  it. 

Several  writers  have  given  the  publick  the  life  of  Washington,  and 
some  of  them  are  felicitous  compositions.  Dr.  Bancroft's,  of  Wor- 
cester, in  Massachusetts,  is  one  of  those  which  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest in  future  days,  as  it  is  now.  The  Doctor  has  published  a 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  131 

volume  of  sermons  of  much  merit  The  work  is  remarkable 
for  liberality  of  sentiment,  purity  of  style,  and  for  strong  direct 
reasoning  on  difficult  matters  of  belief.  There  is  something  re- 
freshing in  his  candid,  bold,  and  pleasant  manner  of  treating  his 
subject,  and  you  are  satisfied  with  the  writer,  even  when  you  refuse 
to  become  a  convert  to  his  argument.  Whatever  comes  from  the 
pen  of  this  venerable  philanthropist  and  Christian,  is  finely  marked 
with  delicate  and  discriminating  touches. 

It  is  difficult  to  speak,  at  the  present  time,  of  Mr.  Adams'  Lec- 
tures on  Rhetorick.  As  an  orator  and  statesmen,  his  fame  is  in 
every  court.  For  more  than  forty  years  he  has  been  known  to  the 
republick  of  letters  as  a  splendid  scholar.  With  his  political  life  we 
have  nothing  to  do  here;  but  we  venture  to  predict,  that,  when 
these  lectures  are  read  hereafter,  free  from  those  prejudices  or  par- 
tialities which  are  almost  necessarily  incorporated  with  our  opinions 
of  the  works  of  living  politicians,  that  they  will  add  to  the  honour 
of  American  literature  ;  and,  if  not  considered  as  faultless  in  style, 
will  be  ranked  among  the  most  vigorous  efforts  of  American  ge- 
nius and  learning. 

Pitkin's  political  and  civil  history  of  the  United  States  is  a  valua- 
ble work.  The  writer  has  laboured  more  to  show  causes  and  to 
develope  principles,  than  to  round  periods  and  polish  metaphors. 
He  came  to  his  work  with  much  knowledge  of  our  history,  and  a 
sound  discriminating  judgement.  The  practical  politician  should  be 
thoroughly  master  of  the  contents  of  these  volumes.  There  is  a 
deplorable  ignorance  of  constitutional  history  among  us.  It  should  not 
be  so.  We  have  had  frequent  occasions,  in  the  course  of  these  lec- 
tures, to  speak  of  medical  works,  and  of  the  medical  mind  in  our 
country,  with  great  respect.  They  deserve  it.  The  journals  of  that 
profession,  though  more  directly  belonging  to  scientifick  and  profes- 
sional knowledge  than  to  general  literature,  are  of  a  high  literary 
grade.  The  writers  in  these  periodicals  have  certainly  acquired  the 
art  or  mystery,  for  it  partakes  of  both,  of  preserving  uninteresting, 
and  even  revolting  facts,  if  seen  too  nakedly,  in  the  beauties  of  lan- 
guage and  the  charms  of  style.  They  have  perfumed  and  cleansed 
the  lazar-house ;  ornamented  the  cinerary  urn,  and  so  tastefully 
sculptured  the  sarcophagi,  that  one  of  delicate  nerves  may  walk 
among  the  ravings  of  disease  and  the  victims  of  death,  and  reason 
upon  the  phenomena  without  disgust  or  terrour.  Of  this  character 
is  the  work  of  Dr.  Beck,  of  Albany,  on  Medical  Jurisprudence. 
It  was  the  first  work  on  that  subject  that  issued  from  the  American 
press.  The  order  pursued  is  natural,  the  style  is  easy,  and  the 
facts  appear  to  have  been  cautiously  examined,  and  the  inferences 
from  them  fairly  drawn ;  and  the  illustrations  are  generally  happy. 


132  LECTURES  ON 

This  work  should  be  found  in  every  lawyer's  library.  There  has 
been  many  a  victim,  innocent  of  crime,  sacrificed  to  an  ignorance 
of  the  science  of  medical  jurisprudence.  Their  blood  must  rest 
somewhere. 

The  life  of  Fulton,  by  Colden,  is  much  esteemed,  and  comes 
timely  to  ward  off  many  criticisms  upon  the  course  Fulton  had 
pursued. 

Judge  Johnson's  life  of  Green,  is  a  work  of  research  and  extent ; 
but  it  has  not  suited  all  tastes.  Perhaps  too  much  was  expected  from 
the  circumstance  of  official  elevation. 

Brown's  life  of  Dr.  Linn,  is  superiour  to  most  writings  of  the  kind. 
Brown  excelled  in  dravring  characters,  and  his  subject  was  full  of 
romantic  beauty.  The  melancholy  of  the  mind  and  imagination  of 
both  Brown  and  Linn  is  slightly  incorporated  in  the  colouring  of 
the  picture.  The  light  falls  upon  it  as  passing  through  the  painted 
glass  of  a  gothick  window  into  the  chancel  of  a  monastery,  throwing 
a  religious  solemnity  over  the  group  of  the  painting,  and  the  artist, 
and  all  the  scene  around  them. 

DUNLAP'S  LIFE  OF  BROWN,  is  a  very  fair  and  honest  narrative  of 
the  events  in  the  life  of  the  American  novelist  and  sentimental  wri- 
ter ;  who  laboured,  and  suffered,  and  died,  without  receiving  from 
his  countrymen  the  rewards  he  deserved.  Dunlap  is  a  man  of 
genius  as  a  painter,  as  well  as  a  writer,  and  second  to  but  few  in 
either  profession. 

We  claim  Washington  Irving  as  one  of  our  literati ;  and  are  proud 
to  rank  him  among  the  first  of  our  authors.  He  began  his  literary 
career  here,  and  for  many  years  was  a  contributor  to  our  best  peri- 
odical journals.  He  left  this  country  with  a  high  reputation  as  a 
man  of  taste  and  talents,  and  with  the  affection  and  respect  of  the 
first  circles  among  us ;  but  in  Europe  he  has  more  widely  extended 
his  fame,  by  his  sketch  book,  and  other  works.  His  tales  abound  in 
deep  interest,  his  plots  are  finely  conceived,  and  his  descriptions  feli- 
citous. His  delineations  of  character  are  just  and  striking;  and  every 
article  from  his  pen  has  some  fine  touches  of  the  pathetick ;  in  this  he  is 
singularly  successful.  His  language  is  choice,  good,  pure  old  Eng- 
lish ;  and  his  style  is  polished  with  the  most  exquisite  care.  He 
was  not,  however,  satisfied  by  resting  his  fame  on  these  works,  but 
looked  around  him  for  some  unoccupied  portion  of  history  on  which 
to  seize  for  a  lasting  work  ;  but  at  length  most  wisely  took  an  old 
subject,  but  one  which  will  never  be  exhausted— the  life  and  ad- 
ventures of  Christopher  Columbus.  This  subject  contained  incidents 
already  related,  sufficient  in  his  hands  for  the  purposes  of  making  a 
most  entertaining  and  instructive  work ;  and  these  were  at  his  com- 
mand without  going  out  of  his  library  for  them ;  but  he  was  not 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  133 

content  to  rely  on  any  garnishments  of  this  subject  for  reputation, 
but  added  the  results  of  long  and  assiduous  research  to  new  philo- 
sophical views,  and  more  minute  incidents.  Fired  with  his  theme, 
he  sought  the  fountains  for  information,  and  drew  his  knowledge 
from  them,  all  pure  and  fresh  for  his  uses.  The  national  archives 
of  Spain,  so  long  shut  up  from  the  world,  were  opened  to  him ;  and 
the  family  papers  of  Columbus,  that  had  been  preserved  with  great 
care,  were  now  thorouglily  examined.  His  success  has  fully  justi- 
fied his  devotion  to  the  cause.  This  was  precisely  such  a  subject  as 
should  have  engaged  the  attention  of  such  a  mind.  Poetry  and 
fiction  had  nothing  more  splendid  to  offer,  nor  history  to  hold  up, 
for  the  contemplation  of  man,  than  the  life  of  Columbus  ;  there  was 
enough  of  vicissitude,  of  glory,  of  heart-ache,  of  degradation,  of 
apotheosis,  to  have  suited  an  epick  bard,  or  an  oriental  enthusiast. 
Had  the  great  discoverer  been  "  wrapt  into  future  times,"  as  poets 
have  imagined  him  to  have  been,  one  of  the  most  delightful  visions 
he  could  have  had,  would  have  been  a  sight  of  his  own  great  his- 
torian. Not  a  misery  of  his  existence  could  now  be  spared  by  his 
biographer,  for  they  were  all  wanted  to  finish  so  noble  a  character. 
Who  is  there  now  so  dull  as  would  wish  to  find  that  all  the  troubles 
of  Columbus  were  fictitious;  and  that,  full-fed  with  wealth,  and 
overloaded  with  honours,  he  had  sunk  to  "  the  vulgar  level  of  the 
great  /'  and  had  passed  the  last  of  his  days  in  the  stately  magnifi- 
cence of  a  Spanish  grandee  ?  Nof  one ;  his  chains,  his  dungeon,  his 
death,  his  obscure  grave,  are  all  sacred  appendages  to  his  fame ;  nor 
were  his  honours  and  his  virtues  to  shine  in  that  age  of  superstition 
and  ignorance ;  three  centuries,  in  the  course  of  time,  were  required 
to  bring  forth  a  historian  for  him  ;  for  it  was  a  decree  of  fate,  that 
the  events  of  the  life  of  the  discoverer  of  the  new  world,  should  be 
fully  written  by  one  who  should  arise  in  it. 

Dr.  Thatcher,  author  of  a  medical  work,  and  a  military  journal 
of  considerable  celebrity,  has  published  "  The  Biography  of  American 
Physicians :" — the  preface,  containing  a  succinct  history  of  the  me- 
dical profession,  is  learned  and  interesting ;  and  the  lives  are  writ- 
ten with  great  fairness,  with  fraternal  feeling,  and  discover  touches 
of  discrimination  and  literary  taste ;  and  from  the  sources  from 
whence  the  Doctor  derived  his  information,  and  the  pains  he  has 
taken  to  compose  and  correct  whatever  he  had  gathered,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  of  its  being  the  most  authentick  of  all  our  works  on 
American  biography.  The  Doctor  did  not  begin  this  work  until 
well  advanced  in  years ;  and  of  course  had  a  very  extensive  acquaint- 
ance with  distinguished  men  in  his  profession.  The  work  is  a 
valuable  addition  to  our  stock  of  biography. 

Several  instructive  works,  in  the  form  of  letters,  have  appeared 
M 

*          • 


134  LECTURES  ON 

among  us  from  time  to  time;  one  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  J.  Q.  Adams 
when  abroad,  to  his  son  in  this  country,  which  is  full  of  parental 
tenderness  and  valuable  instructions  and  advice ;  it  ought  to  be  read 
by  all  young  men. 

Nathaniel  H.  Carter,  who  is  distinguished  among  our  scholars  for 
delicacy,  taste,  and  learning,  has  favoured  the  publick  with  two 
volumes  of  letters,  written  while  on  his  travels  through  Europe,  full 
of  brilliant  observations,  classical  allusions,  and  neat,  graphick  de- 
scriptions. Few  volumes  have  given  so  much  pleasure  and  instruc- 
tion as  these  productions.  They  have  a  sweet  and  gentle  spirit 
running  throughout  their  contents,  which,  if  it  adds  nothing  to  the 
author's  fame  at  the  present  moment,  will  preserve  them  for  future 
use,  and  make  them  more  precious  to  the  reader,  when  the  writer, 
with  his  contemporaries,  has  passed  away.  Such  works  are  plea- 
sant to  read  at  home,  and  useful  as  guides  abroad. 

The  life  of  Doctor  Dwight,  prefixed  to  his  sermons,  supposed  to 
be  from  the  pen  of  his  brother,  Theodore  Dwight,  is  full  of  incident, 
and  well  written.  Dwight  was  an  excellent  subject,  and  his  bio- 
grapher was  equal  to  his  undertaking.  It  is  more  difficult  to  detail 
what  may  happen  in  the  life  of  a  literary  man,  than  in  that  of  a  po- 
litician, who  is  hi  some  measure  identified  with  every  passing  event. 
The  history  of  thought,  and  of  such  publications  as  a  literary  man 
may  make  from  time  to  time ;  or  the  occurrences  of  a  school,  or  a 
church,  or  a  college,  all  of  which  are  important  to  the  individual, 
and  of  deep  interest  to  the  community  in  their  social  and  literary 
relations,  are  not  easily  traced,  nor  the  bearing  of  any  one  circum- 
stance distinctly  seen ;  yet,  as  a  whole,  they  often  make  up  an  im- 
portant life — as  in  the  case  of  the  distinguished  individual  we  have 
mentioned. 

Within  a  few  years  past,  the  literati  of  the  United  States,  following 
up  the  English,  have  issued  periodicals  of  great  taste  and  beauty  of 
execution,  under  the  name  of  Souvenirs,  Tokens,  Forget  Me  Nots, 
Talismans,  &c. ;  which  have  called  forth  much  of  the  youthful  and 
vigorous  literature  of  our  country ;  and  if  they  cannot  be  put  exactly 
in  competition  with  some  of  those  of  the  same  class  on  the  other 
side  of  the  water,  still  they  approximate  so  closely,  that  in  a  few 
years  they  may  be  equal  in  every  respect.  It  is  delightful  to  look 
over  these  fashionable  publications,  and  find  so  much  fine  writing  in 
them.  A  gem  of  prose  is  followed  by  a  floweret  of  poesy,  in  which 
sweet  descriptions  and  chaste  fancies,  give  evidence  of  the  improv- 
ing state  of  taste  among  our  scholars.  Nor  is  the  honour  conferred 
on  our  writers  alone ;  the  artists  of  our  country  deservedly  share  in 
it.  These  objects  of  luxury  have  not,  like  many  others,  any  im- 
proper effect  upon  the  publick  mind.  The  appetite  for  knowledge 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  135 

may  become  dainty  by  a  perpetual  feast  of  good  things,  but  there  is 
no  danger  of  destroying  the  digestive  faculty  by  pure  food,  properly 
served  up.  The  magazines  assume  a  tasteful  appearance,  and  the 
careful  printer  makes  a  careful  writer. 

In  one  species  of  literature  we  surpass  all  other  countries,  that  is, 
in  our  newspapers;  we  have  more  of  them,  most  certainly,  than  any 
other  country  in  the  world.  The  increase  has  no  parallel.  The 
first  paper  printed  in  the  United  States  was  called  the  Boston  News- 
letter ;  this  appeared  on  the  24th  of  April,  1704,  at  Boston,  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, by  B.  Green.  The  second  was  commenced  in  1720,  at 
the  same  place,  and  called  the  Boston  Gazette,  by  Samuel  Kneeland. 
In  1721,  the  New-England  Courant  was  set  up  by  James  Franklin, 
an  elder  brother  of  the  philosopher.  In  this  printing-office  the  Doc- 
tor began  his  apprenticeship  at  an  early  age.  In  the  course  of  seven 
or  eight  years  several  other  papers  were  printed  in  that  town. 
The  Greens  had  supported  a  press  at  Cambridge,  near  the  college, 
from  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  country.  Elliott's  Indian  Bible 
was  published  there  in  little  more  than  six  months  after  it  was 
begun. 

The  first  newspaper  printed  in  Philadelphia,  was  commenced 
December  22d,  1719.  The  first  printed  in  New- York,  is  dated  Oc- 
tober 16th,  1725.  The  first  was  under  the  direction  of  Andrew 
Bradford ;  and  the  second  was  edited  and  published  by  William 
Bradford.  They  were  relations,  and  served  their  apprenticeship  in 
the  same  office.  The  Philadelphia  paper  was  called  "  The  American 
Weekly  Mercury,"  and  that  of  New-York,  "The  New-York  Ga- 
zette." The  Rhode  Island  Gazette  was  set  up  by  James  Franklin, 
in  October,  1732.  The  first  in  Connecticut,  by  James  Parker,  in 
1755.  The  first  in  New-Hampshire,  by  Daniel  Fowle,  in  1756.  It 
is  somewhat  surprising  that  a  paper  should  not  have  before  this 
time  been  established  at  Portsmouth,  the  principal  town  in  the  pro- 
vince ;  as  it  was  a  favourite  harbour  for  the  British  naval  comman- 
ders, and  a  place  of  fashion  and  intelligence.  And  their  governor, 
at  that  time,  was  a  splendid  officer.  In  the  time  of  the  Boston  mas- 
sacre, March  5th,  1770,  the  statement  of  facts  were  to  be  sent  to  all 
the  papers  in  the  American  provinces  under  Great  Britain  ;  which 
were  calculated  to  be  about  five  or  six  and  twenty.  In  eighteen 
years  after  the  peace  of  1783,  there  were  about  one  hundred  and 
eighty.  Since  that  period,  a  period  of  twenty-six  years,  they  have 
increased  to  seven  hundred  at  least ;  more  than  one  hundred  of 
them  have  been  established  within  sixteen  months  past. 

The  circulation  of  these  vehicles  of  information  are  truly  astonish- 
ing. More  than  fifty  millions  a  year  are  constantly  issued  in  this 
country ;  the  cost  of  which  cannot  be  less  than  two  millions  of  dol- 


186  LECTURES  ON 

lars  annually  to  the  people.  In  moments  of  party  strife,  these  sources 
of  information,  it  must  be  confessed,  are  often  tinged  with  party 
rancour,  and  in  some  instances  polluted  by  slander  and  falsehood ; 
but  in  general  they  diffuse  information  of  all  sorts  to  the  community, 
and  make  up  a  considerable  share  in  that  general  knowledge  which 
our  busy  people  possess,  after  having  obtained  the  general  elements 
in  the  common  schools  of  the  country. 

Until  lately,  periodical  journals  were  not  so  successful  as  news- 
papers among  the  good  people  of  this  country.  The  first  published 
in  the  provinces,  was  in  the  year  1741,  by  Benjamin  Franklin,  then 
of  Philadelphia,  just  ten  years  after  Edward  Cave,  of  London,  com- 
menced the  Gentleman's  Magazine.  The  English  publication  has 
continued  until  this  time ;  but  the  American  was  soon  discontinued. 
Franklin  knew  that  such  a  work  was  wanted  in  the  country,  and  he 
thought  that  he  would  try  it,  at  that  early  date ;  but  it  was  in  ad- 
vance of  the  age. 

After  the  peace  of  1783,  there  were  several  magazines  started  in 
different  sections  of  the  country,  in  New- York,  Boston,  and  Phila- 
delphia, and  flourished  for  some  time  with  considerable  success. 
Some  of  them  are  read  with  great  pleasure  at  the  present  day. 
Matthew  Carey,  and  his  associates,  published  the  Museum,  a  reposi- 
tory of  literature,  which  flourished  until  the  whole  amounted  to 
several  large  volumes.  This  was  commenced  in  1787,  and  contained 
the  productions  of  Trumbull,  Humphrey,  and  Dr.  Ladd,  with  many 
other  solutions  of  prose  and  verse.  This  work  did  not  expire  for 
want  of  patronage,  but  ceased  because  the  publishers  found  better 
business.  New- York  and  Boston  have  supported  a  review  in  some 
shape  or  other  ever  since  1790.  There  were  many  well  written 
pieces  in  these  works ;  but  the  business  of  reviewing  had  not  then 
assumed  its  shape,  and  form,  and  power,  which  it  has  since.  The 
writers  touched  with  a  faltering  hand  upon  the  errours  of  others ; 
but  their  general  course  was  to  pass  in  silence  those  they  did  not 
like  in  sentiment  or  manner.  A  bolder  hand  was  soon  tried,  and 
the  publick  supported  freedom  and  vivacity  in  discussing  the  merits 
of  authors ;  but  this  privilege  has,  since  that  period,  often  degene- 
rated into  dogmatism  and  censoriousness. 

About  the  year  1801,  the  Port  Folio  was  commenced  by  Joseph 
Dennie,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  He  had  been  known  as  the 
editor  of  a  piquant  and  tasteful  paper  in  the  interiour  of  New-Eng- 
land, on  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut  river.  He  was  then  in  a  circle 
of  wits,  who  threw  their  productions  on  the  winds  with  careless 
profusion.  Royal  Tyler,  long  known  as  the  Bonnel  Thornton  of 
America,  who  wrote  that  which  the  muses  sometimes  inspired  in 
the  shades  of  the  evening,  and  blushed  to  acknowledge  at  the  light 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  137 

of  the  morning  sun,  was  one  of  the  number.  Dennie  was  free,  easy, 
and  readily  excited  to  a  stretch  of  thought,  and  latitude  of  expression, 
pardonable  only,  if  ever,  at  the  "  noctes  c&ncBque  Deum  ;"  but  his  feel- 
ings were  naturally  pure  and  sincere ;  and  if,  for  a  moment,  his  mind, 
like  the  cloth  made  of  the  asbestos,  received  a  stain  by  contiguity  with 
impurity,  the  blaze  of  his  genius,  like  the  operation  of  fire  upon  the 
imperishable  texture  of  the  web,  burnt  it  all  pure  again  at  its  first 
kindling  up.  If  Dennie  had  not  that  intellectual  vigour  which 
crushes  to  obtain  an  essence,  or  dissolves  to  develope  a  principle ; 
he  had  judgement  and  taste  to  arrange  a  sentence  and  to  polish  a 
period.  His  imagination  was  rich  and  excursive ;  it  knew  no  thral- 
dom, and  spurned  at  all  narrow  bounds.  He  had  that  which  the 
country  wanted  more  than  any  thing  else,  a  refined  taste.  The 
Port  Folio  was  then  in  full  circulation ;  and  this,  more  than  any 
other  work  in  the  country,  had  an  influence  on  the  style  of  writing 
in  our  seminaries  of  learning.  The  young  aspirants  for  fame  saw 
how  much  the  writings  of  Dennie  were  read,  and  they  imitated  him 
in  their  productions.  This  was  fortunate.  It  is  better  for  youths 
to  emulate  the  flexible  motions  of  the  dancing  master,  to  give  grace 
and  ease  to  their  movements,  than  to  practise  the  measured  steps 
and  stately  demeanour  of  the  knight  in  armour,  before  they  have 
bone  and  muscle  for  the  fight.  Modern  education,  it  may  be  said, 
has  found  a  happy  mean,  or  rather,  has  taught  us  how  to  unite  both. 
Dennie  did  not  live  many  years  to  continue  his  work.  Since  that 
period  the  Port  Folio  has  fallen  into  other  hands ;  and  although  it 
has  frequently  exhibited  talent,  yet  it  has  lost  its  relative  standing 
in  the  republick  of  letters.  In  1802,  the  Anthology  was  established 
at  Boston.  It  had  a  very  considerable  character  from  its  commence- 
ment. It  was  often  interesting,  and  sometimes  learned ;  at  times  it 
assumed  a  consequential  air  and  manner ;  but  it  cannot  be  said  that 
it  had  as  much  weight  as  a  leading  journal  ought  to  have  had  in  the 
country  at  that  time.  It  took  another  shape,  and  a  milder  character, 
in  the  North  American  Review,  and  has  since  been-awell  conducted 
journal;  many  times  rivaling  the  first  works  of  European  fame; 
and  if  an  imitation,  in  some  degree,  of  the  Edinburgh,  it  has  no  ser- 
vility of  thought  or  tone.  The  Edinburgh  was  the  first  of  this  class 
of  works  which  are  now  so  popular;  and  without  which  the  literary 
world  would  be  at  a  loss  to  fix  on  a  course  of  reading  to  keep  up 
with  the  literature  of  the  day.  The  Edinburgh  Review  began  its 
course  as  Hercules  did  his  labours,  not  exactly  when  he  was  most 
wanted,  but  when  his  prowess  could  be  most  distinctly  seen,  and 
noted.  The  Edinburgh  Reviewers  course  every  field  of  literature, 
ancient  or  modern,  often-times  merely  to  show  their  speed  and  bot- 
tom. They  come  upon  the  literati  as  their  conquerors  and  prolec- 
M2  18 


138  LECTURES  ON 

tors ;  and  if  they  deny  the  divine  right  of  kings  in  political  govern- 
ments, they  assume  the  office  of  perpetual  dictators  in  the  commu- 
nity of  letters.  When  they  commenced  their  labours,  the  literary 
world  was  indeed  overrun  with  monsters  j  and  they  laid  aside  the 
sword  and  the  spear,  and  pursued  their  prey  with  club  and  blun- 
derbuss, from  jungle  to  crag,  regardless  of  trespassing  on  rice- 
ground  or  cane-patch ;  but  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  they  did 
more  good  than  mischief  in  their  sport.  The  Quarterly  followed 
with  as  much  ferocity,  but  not  with  more  power,  and  our  country 
became  the  object  of  their  direst  vengeance.  They  saw  us  rising 
rapidly  in  the  scale  of  nations,  and  thought  it  wise,  prudent,  and, 
probably,  fair  in  politicks,  to  check  our  growth.  They  had  no  con- 
trol over  the  progress  of  population,  none  over  the  increase  of 
wealth,  which  was  greater  than  they  could  imagine,  or  understand. 
Nothing  was  left  but  to  attack  our  institutions,  or  manners  and 
habits  ;  and  this  was  done  with  rancour  and  profligacy,  and  without 
regard  to  truth.  They  seized  upon  worthless  tales  of  travellers, 
who  wrote  solely  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  food  for  the  cormo- 
rant appetites  of  these  haters  of  America;  the  writers  knowing  that 
by  such  means  they  would  be  favourably  noticed  by  the  Reviewers, 
and  of  course  their  trash  would  find  a  ready  market.  Part  of  the 
people  of  England  were  with  them  from  ancient  prejudices,  a  part 
opposed  to  them  from  information  and  principle ;  but  a  still  greater 
part  were  ignorant  of  the  true  state  of  facts.  This  evil  was  only  for 
a  season ;  and  instead  of  disgracing  our  country,  as  the  Reviewers 
intended,  they  raised  up  a  host  of  able  vindicators  of  American  mind 
and  literature,  which  they  little  expected.  Dwight,  sensitive  upon 
this  subject,  came  out  in  our  defence  with  spirit  and  effect.  And 
Walsh,  a  name  identified  with  our  literature,  appealed  to  the  com- 
mon sense  of  the  nations  who  knew  us,  and  manfully  repelled  the 
coarse  and  wicked  assaults  which  had  been  made  upon  us.  Others, 
too,  were  engaged  to  repel  these  vile  slanders.  Much  was  felt,  much 
was  said  and  written  upon  the  subject  at  home,  and  a  reaction  took 
place  abroad ;  and  in  no  place  was  this  reaction  greater  than  in  Eng- 
land. Our  novels,  which  had  not  gone  farther  than  a  second  edition 
here,  there  passed  through  several  editions  with  great  eclat.  Brown, 
whose  grave  could  hardly  be  traced  by  us,  was  there  ranked  among 
the  finest  writersof  fiction  that  any  ageor  nation  had  produced.  There 
are  still  a  few  traces  of  this  malignity  left,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  mi- 
serable libel  of  De  Roos,  and  a  slight  disposition  to  keep  it  alive,  as 
seen  in  the  patronage  given  him  by  the  British  admiralty ;  but  no 
matter  for  that,  this  prejudice  is,  we  pronounce,  nearly  over  and 
gone.  The  literature  of  our  country  is  increasing  with  a  most  as- 
tonishing rapidity ;  and  knowledge  is  pouring  upon  us  in  its  lesser 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  139 

and  greater  streams  from  all  parts  of  the  land ;  besides  weekly  and 
monthly  magazines,  which  are  profusely  scattered  throughout  all 
our  territories,  we  have  several  journals  in  medicine  and  law ;  and 
six  established  quarterly  reviews,  extensively  read,  and  well  sup- 
ported. The  editors  of  these  quarterly  works  are  pursuing  a  wise 
course,  in  repelling  the  attacks  which  have  been  made  upon  our 
literature,  rather  by  exhibiting  fine  specimens  of  thought  and  taste 
in  composition,  than  by  retort  and  vituperation. 


LECTURE  IX. 


Tis  not  the  chime  and  flow  of  words,  that  move 

In  measured  file,  and  metrical  array ; 

'Tis  not  the  union  of  returning  sounds, 

Nor  all  the  pleasing  artifice  of  rhyme, 

And  quantity,  and  accent,  that  can  give 

This  all-pervading  spirit  to  the  ear, 

Or  blend  it  with  the  movingsof  the  soul; 

'Tis  a  mysterious  feeling,  which  combines 

Man  with  the  world  around  him  in  a  chain 

Woven  of  flowers,  and  dipped  in  sweetness,  till 

He  taste  the  high  communion  of  his  thoughts, 

With  all  existences,  in  earth  and  heaven, 

That  meet  him  in  the  charm  of  grace  and  power. 

PEBCIVAL. 

IN  order  to  have  a  fair  view  of  American  poetry,  we  must  go  up 
to  the  springs  from  whence  it  flowed.  Poetry  is  natural  to  man. 
It  is  a  sympathy  of  the  human  mind  with  the  invisible  world,  in 
which  the  spirit  is  active  in  expanding,  exalting,  and  reforming  the 
realities  it  witnesses  to  something  which  belongs  to  upper  natures, 
or  divine  essences.  Most  things  around  the  primitive  poet  were 
above  his  comprehension,  for  he  had  but  little  philosophy  to  assist 
him  in  analyzing  appearances,  and  he  therefore  mingled  the  known 
with  the  doubtful,  and  the  real  with  the  imaginary.  He  was  a  poet 
of  sensibility  long  before  he  had  learnt  to  express  any  of  his  emo- 
tions, or  combinations  in  language.  When  he  had  proceeded  so  far 
as  to  give  his  thoughts  utterance  in  words,  he  selected  the  best  and 
most  favourable  he  could  find  as  a  medium  of  his  thoughts,  and 
probably  for  ages  his  words  rather  designated  than  expressed  his 


140  LECTURES  ON 

feelings  and  conceptions.  As  he  grew  more  and  more  intelligent, 
he  became  dissatisfied  with  his  first  expressions,  and  sought  new 
ones  more  comprehensive  and  more  pleasing  to  his  ear ;  and  verbal 
beauties  became  as  necessary  to  please  himself  and  his  hearers  as 
impassioned  conceptions;  and  measure,  cadence,  and  tone,  were 
studied.  The  passions  taught  him  their  languages ;  joy  had  his 
sprightly  note,  and  sorrow  her  melancholy  one ;  pity,  as  she  melted 
the  mind,  softened  her  words ;  and  rage  and  revenge  were  regardless 
of  the  harshnessof  theirs.  Even  in  early  days  the  consonancy  of  words 
was  sought,  and  rhyme  was  added  to  the  other  properties  of  verse ;  but 
not  much  used  until  after  the  Christian  era,  though,  probably,  more 
than  is  generally  believed.  Every  nation  has  found  the  advantages 
of  poetry.  It  enlarged  the  compass  of  language ;  it  selected  words 
of  greater  beauty  and  energy  than  were  in  common  use ;  it  was  the 
medium  of  heroick  sentiments  and  devotional  feelings ;  it  multiplied 
appropriate  phrases,  and  melodious  sentences ;  and  was  constantly 
improving  the  language  with  synonymes,  new  combinations,  and 
niceties  of  expression.  It  would  be  a  delightful  task  to  trace  the 
progress  of  the  mind,  through  the  history  of  poetry,  from  the  earliest 
times  to  the  classical  ages,  and  from  them  down  to  this  of  philosophy 
and  criticism ;  but  this  would  lead  us  into  a  wide  field,  too  wide  for 
our  present  purposes ;  I  shall,  therefore,  only  give  a  brief  account 
of  English  poetry,  to  show  its  rise  and  progress,  in  order  to  have  a 
fuller  view  of  our  own.  Poetry  generally  exhibits  the  best  state  of 
the  language  of  the  day  in  which  it  was  written.  One  set  of  poets 
pass  off  after  another,  and  the  succeeding  generation  is  indebted  to 
the  preceding  for  much  of  the  excellence  it  possesses,  as  the  fine  and 
rich  mould  of  the  earth  is  formed  from  the  successive  productions 
of  a  prior  age.  By  examining  the  works  of  English  poets,  we  can 
trace,  very  satisfactorily,  the  several  stages  of  our  vernacular  tongue. 
It  is  agreed,  on  all  hands,  that  the  English  language  had  its  origin 
in  the  first  century  after  the  Norman  conquest,  in  1066.  In  the 
reign  of  William,  and  his  immediate  successors,  the  poetry  of  the 
country,  which  was  nothing  more  than  ballads,  was  in  Norman. 
The  Saxon  legends  were  preserved  in  Norman  rhyme ;  but  the 
Anglo-Saxon  mind  was  superiour  in  strength  and  invention  to  that 
of  the  conquerors,  and  the  English  vernacular  grew  up  with  a  few 
Norman  features ;  but  in  body  and  spirit  it  was  Saxon.  This  fact 
is  proved  by  the  earliest  English  poets.  Layamon  wrote  some- 
where between  1135  and  1180.  He  was  the  author  of  the  work 
called  "  Arthur's  Account  of  his  Dream."  After  the  time  of  Laya- 
mon, there  is  a  poem  consisting  of  a  dialogue  between  an  owl  and 
a  nightingale,  disputing  for  superiority  ;  this,  more  distinctly  than 
the  works  of  Layamon,  makes  the  change  which  had  taken  place 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  141 

in  the  tongue  of  the  Britons.  From  1300,  English  poetry,  and  of 
course  the  whole  language,  took  a  definite,  positive  existence. 

At  this  period,  Robert  de  Brunne,  or  Robert  Mannyng,  wrote  a 
metrical  chronicle  of  England,  taking  his  facts  from  several  old  his- 
torians. This  same  writer  composed  tales  in  verse ;  these  have  not 
been  printed  until  lately ;  but  copies  of  his  manuscripts  have  been 
preserved.  The  antiquarians  say  that  the  English  language  was 
copious  then,  and  give  as  a  specimen  his  tale  of  the  "  Lady,  a  Lord's 
Wyfe."  This  work  may  be  read  with  tolerable  ease  by  any  Eng- 
lish scholar.  He  deals  largely  in  satire,  but  is  at  times  full  of  ten- 
derness, and  is  not  a  little  romantick. 

In  the  twelfth,  thirteenth,  and  fourteenth  centuries,  the  English 
romances  constituted  the  reading  of  the  age.  The  heroes  of  King 
Arthur  and  Charlemagne,  Richard  Co3ur  de  Lion,  Amadis  de  Gaul, 
and  others,  had  their  day,  and  passed  away ;  but  they  were  great  in 
their  time — quite  equal  to  the  Waverly  novels  of  the  present  day ; 
and,  like  the  latter  at  present,  were  read  by  clergy  and  laity,  the 
fair  and  the  wise.  It  was  the  fashion  to  read  them ;  and  fashion  is 
irresistible.  Romance  and  poetry  are  kindred  spirits,  and  are  ge- 
nerally found  together.  In  that  age,  the  old  ballads  were  renovated, 
and  were  in  the  mouths  of  every  one  who  had  any  pretensions  to 
taste.  These  writers  aimed  at  the  beau  ideal  in  their  compositions, 
and  that  was  suited  to  the  taste  of  the  times.  The  habit  of  reading 
these  fictions  and  ballads  entered  into  college-halls  by  grave  per- 
mission from  the  guardians  of  literature  and  religion. 

Chaucer,  who  is  called  the  father  of  English  poetry,  who  died  in 
1400,  was  preceded  by  John  Gower,  who  was  celebrated  before 
Chaucer  was  known ;  he  out  lived  Chaucer,  however,  and  died  old 
and  blind,  but  not  poor.  Rewrote  a  poem  in  English,  called  "Con- 
fessio  Amantis."  It  contains  thirty-five  thousand  lines ;  it  was 
composed  at  the  request  of  King  Richard  II.  He  had  more  know- 
ledge of  ethicks  than  of  poetry ;  and  is  named  by  Chaucer,  in  these 
words:  "O!  Moral  Gower!"  He  united  the  moral  philosopher 
with  the  minstrel ;  and  he  may  now  be  called  the  Cowper  of  his 
age.  He  enlarged  and  disciplined  the  intellectual  taste  of  his  coun- 
trymen. Gower  was  the  first  poet  that  wrote  in  the  English  lan- 
guage, who  gave  his  lovers  a  good  share  of  learning,  as  an  indis- 
pensable requisite  for  success  in  winning  the  affections  of  the  fair, 
to  whom  they  were  devoted.  Would  that  it  had  been  more  often 
imitated.  On  the  tales  of  Gower,  Byron  and  Scott  have  founded 
their  Laras,  Corsairs,  Brides  of  Abydos,  and  Marmions.  Who  ever 
was,  or  who  ever  can  be,  entirely  original? 

Chaucer  was  a  politician  as  well  as  a  poet,  and  was  sent  an  am- 
bassador to  the  Doge  of  Genoa,  about  1370.  He  was  for  many 


142  LECTURES  ON 

years  a  favourite  of  his  king,  Edward  III.— but  by  some  accident, 
lost  his  good  will,  and  suffered  imprisonment ;  but  was  restored  to 
favour  on  the  accession  of  Henry.  He  wrote  Troilus  and  Cre- 
seide,  and  the  Canterbury  tales. 

The  next  English  poet,  was  John  the  Chaplain.  He  translated 
Boetius,  and  his  language  is  remarkably  good  English ;  much  less 
obsolete  at  this  day  than  Chaucer's.  He  lived  in  the  reign  of  Hen- 
ry IV. 

The  next  poet,  contemporary  with  John  the  Chaplain,  was 
Thomas  Occleve.  He  considered  Chaucer  as  his  father  in  poetry ; 
and  was  a  scholar  worthy  his  master ;  he  added  many  beauties  of 
language  to  English  poetry.  He  wrote  for  Henry  IV.  and  his 
gallant  son,  Henry  V.,  who  employed  Occleve  as  a  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  privy  seal.  He  had  the  grant  of  an  annuity,  but  it 
was  badly  paid,  for  Hal  had  robbed  the  exchequer  for  his  wars. 
He  wrote  a  poem  on  government,  for  Henry  V.,  which  is  said  to 
contain  many  fine  sentiments  and  correct  principles. 

Lydgate,  a  Benedictine  monk,  was  another  of  the  poets  of  the 
days  of  these  Henries.  He  wrote  the  "Storie  of  Thebes,"  and 
"  Siege  of  Troy."  He  is  the  first  English  poet  who  complains  of 
the  criticks,  a  common  grief  since  his  time.  He  says  that  Chaucer  did 
not  care  for  them ;  so  much  the  better  for  him,  and,  perhaps,  for  us ; 
for  he  might  not  have  published  so  many  of  his  works,  if  he  had 
been  as  sensitive  as  Lydgate.  About  this  time,  there  were  several 
very  clever  poets  in  Scotland;  Dunbar,  and  others;  but  we  are  now 
looking  only  for  those  familiar  to  our  ancestors. 

A  spirit  of  criticism  is  a  strong  symptom  of  an  age  of  intellectual 
advancement  and  literary  taste.  The  publick  grew  fastidious  in 
proportion  to  the  frequency  of  their  mental  banquets.  The  bright- 
est parts  of  the  most  successful  writer  make  the  world  less  tolerant 
of  his  defects. 

From  Lydgate  to  Spenser,  there  were  several  poets  of  considera- 
ble celebrity  in  those  times,  but  not  much  known  to  us.  Spenser 
was  born  in  1553,  and  died  in  1599.  He  was  nine  years  seinor  to 
Marlowe,  and  eleven  to  Shakspeare.  Marlowe  was  the  most  popu- 
lar dramatick  writer  of  his  age.  His  plays  caught  the  popular  gale 
before  Shakspeare's  were  known.  He  was  learned,  and  under- 
stood the  laws  of  rhythm,  and  of  course  his  measure  is  smooth  and 
finished.  He  brought  more  care  and  beauty  into  blank  verse,  than 
any  of  his  predecessors.  He  was  killed,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one, 
in  a  brawl.  He  was  a  free  thinker,  and  his  death  was  held  by  the 
pious  of  that  age,  as  a  judgement  for  his  want  of  principle ;  and  for 
many  years  his  works  were  neglected ;  indeed,  it  could  hardly 


I 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  143 

have  been  otherwise,  if  there  had  been  no  blot  on  his  fame,  as 
Shakspeare  was  so  near  him. 

When  our  ancestors  came  to  this  country,  Shakspeare  had  been 
known  to  a  few  only  in  the  circles  of  court  fashion,  and  those  who 
frequented  the  theatre ;  but  the  religious  part  of  the  community, 
who  abhorred  plays,  and  every  thing  connected  with  the  drama, 
knew  but  little  of  this  great  poet  at  that  time.  There  were  not 
many  of  Shakspeare's  plays  then  in  print.  An  entire  edition  of 
them  was  not  published  until  the  year  1623,  seven  years  after  the 
death  of  the  author ;  and,  after  this  time,  it  was  many  years  before 
his  works  were  much  read.  During  the  puritanical  times  of  the 
Commonwealth,  the  great  dramatist  was  almost  lost  sight  of;  and, 
as  strange  as  it  may  seem  to  us  of  the  present  day,  there  were  only 
four  editions  of  his  works  printed  in  all  the  seventeenth  century. 

I  believe  that  there  is  hardly  a  quotation  to  be  found  from  Shaks- 
peare in  any  American  author,  until  after  the  commencement  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Beaumont,  and  Fletcher,  and  Ben  Jonson, 
were  less  known,  at  that  time,  than  some  itinerant  ballad-singers. 
The  prose  writings  of  Milton,  from  his  political  character,  were 
more  extensively  circulated  in  his  life  time.  These,  after  a  while, 
were  neglected,  and  his  poetry  made  its  way  slowly  in  the  literary 
world.  At  first  it  attracted  no  crowd  of  imitators,  and  made  no 
visible  change  in  the  poetical  rules  of  the  age.  Milton  stood 
alone  and  aloof  above  his  time,  the  bard  of  immortal  subjects ;  and, 
as  far  as  there  is  perpetuity  in  language,  of  immortal  fame. 

Dryden  flourished  at  the  time  of  the  restoration,  and  was  the  har- 
binger of  the  Augustan  age  which  followed  ;  when  Swift,  Addison, 
Pope,  Arbuthnot,  and  others  of  distinction  in  the  walks  of  literature, 
shone  upon  the  world.  This  was  truly  an  age  of  poetry  j  for  many 
then,  who  are  scarcely  known  at  this  day,  wrote  good  verses. 
Fenton  and  Broome  assisted  in  the  translation  of  the  Illiad,  and 
their  labours  are  not  much  inferiour  to  Pope's  share  of  it ;  and  yet 
they  held  quite  a  secondary  rank  in  the  galaxy  of  geuius  which 
graced  that  period. 

Pope  was  first  known  this  side  of  the  Atlantick  in  April,  1717,  as  ap- 
pears by  a  poetical  epistle  addressed  to  the  author  of  Windsor  Fo- 
rest, from  Watertown,  in  the  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The 
other  works  of  Pope  soon  followed,  and  were  much  admired  in  this 
country.  Most  of  his  productions  had  passed  through  numerous 
editions  before  the  death  of  the  poet,  which  was  in  1744. 

Sir  Richard  Blackmoore,  who  was  a  physician  to  William  and 
Mary,  and  a  poet  of  more  loyalty  than  genius,  wrote  before  Pope  j- 
and  was,  from  his  stalely  hexameter,  and  general  strain  of  piety, 
much  admired  in  this  country.  He  is  often  quoted  by  Cotton  Ma- 


144  LECTURES  ON 

ther  and  others,  with  great  respect  and  fondness.  But  of  all  the 
poets  at  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century,  no  one  was 
more  read  in  this  country  than  Dr.  Watts.  His  fame  for  piety  was 
co-extensive  with  Christendom,  among  the  protestants.  His  poetry 
was  found  in  the  hands  of  all  classes  in  this  country.  His  lyricks 
were  well  spoken  of  by  the  learned,  and  all  joined  in  thinking  his 
psalms  and  hymns  far  superiour  to  the  works  of  all  his  predecessors, 
in  the  same  line.  The  American  booksellers  reprinted  his  works  as 
they  appeared,  for  they  were  sure  of  a  rapid  sale  of  them. 

The  works  of  Young  were  read  with  avidity  on  their  first  appear- 
ance, particularly  his  Night  Thoughts.  Addison  was  not  so  ge- 
nerally read,  but  he  had  many  admirers.  It  is  amusing  for  us,  at 
this  day,  to  look  over  the  early  newspapers  in  our  country,  and  find 
criticisms  and  quotations  exciting  the  people  to  read  these  works  of 
rare  excellence.  Franklin  formed  his  style  on  Addison,  as  far  as  he 
could,  being  of  a  very  different  cast  of  mind.  The  youthful  Ame- 
rican anticipated  the  advice  of  the  great  English  critick,  and  lite- 
rally read  the  works  of  Addison  day  and  night,  to  assist  him  in 
forming  a  style.  The  intensity  with  which  some  of  those  works 
were  read  by  the  people  of  only  a  common  school  education,  is 
almost  beyond  the  belief  of  those  unacquainted  with  the  fact.  Many 
of  the  aged  people  we  have  seen,  could  repeat  whole  books  of  Milton 
and  of  Young ;  and  the  works  of  Watts  were  in  the  mouth  of  every 
man,  woman,  and  child ;  and,  at  the  time  when  his  psalms  and 
hymns  came  into  general  use  in  the  churches,  there  were  but  few 
who  required  a  book  to  join  the  choir  in  their  devotions. 

The  history  of  American  poetry  is  more  curious  than  is  generally 
believed.  Many  writers  have  declared  that  we  had  no  poetry  until 
after  the  commencement  of  the  last  century.  The  people  of  a  prior 
age,  however,  did  not  think  themselves  destitute  of  poetical  talent. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  austerity  of  the  manners  of  the  puritans 
was  not  congenial  to  the  muse ;  that  when  they  dethroned  the  pope, 
and  broke  down  the  altars,  and  destroyed  the  groves  of  papal  wor- 
ship, they  waged  war  also  with  the  lovely  creations  of  the  classical 
ages.  The  theory  has  some  plausibility  in  it  at  first  sight,  but  it  is 
not  true  to  any  great  extent ;  although  the  first  exhibitions  of  our 
own  poetry  were  religious  and  scriptural,  and  mostly  made  on 
mournful  occasions ;  yet  the  muses  were  often  invoked,  and  inspira- 
tion looked  for  from  the  Nine  by  our  puritan  fathers ;  and,  most  cer- 
tainly, Milton  had  none  of  these  scruples  of  availing  himself  of  the 
works  of  heathen  authors,  for  he  has  plundered  every  heaven  and 
eartli,  and  mid- way  territory,  of  Pagan  creation,  to  adorn  his  own 
wonderful  and  lovely  universe.  Good  poetry,  like  other  possessions 
of  knowledge,  more  often  belongs  to  the  age  in  which  it  was  written 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  145 

than  to  the  genius  of  the  individual  poet.  There  are  a  great  num- 
ber of  young  ladies  in  the  United  States,  who  can  write  better  poetry 
now,  than  the  most  distinguished  poet  among  us  could  half  a  cen- 
tury ago. 

I  propose  to  offer  you  some  specimens  of  poetry  written  in  this 
country,  at  different  periods  of  our  history,  that  you  may  compare 
them  with  each  other,  and  judge  for  yourselves  of  their  merits; 
interspersing  a  few  remarks  of  my  own  upon  the  writers  and  their 
productions. 

Our  first  quotation  shall  be  from  the  muse  of  John  Smith,  who 
was  the  JEneas  of  the  new  world.  One  would  think,  from  the  cha- 
racter of  the  man,  that  his  poetry  would  be  of  the  first  order.  He 
was  fitted  by  nature  and  education  for  a  poet ;  generous,  noble,  and 
full  of  genius,  he  saw  every  thing  in  a  chivalrous  light ;  not  the 
flitting,  irregular,  meteorick  light  of  a  perturbed  mind,  which  is  so 
often  found  to  mistake  the  agitations  of  feebleness  for  the  workings 
of  the  divinity  within  ;  but  one  which  saw  things  in  the  blaze  of  in- 
tellectual day.  He  had  been  a  philosopher,  a  hero,  and  a  lover  in 
every  clime ;  and  a  favourite  of  the  fair  in  every  path  of  the  sun. 
The  veiled  beauties  of  Asia,  whose  hearts  melt  with  romantick  ten- 
derness within  the  harem  walls — the  refined  and  accomplished 
women  of  his  own  country,  and  the  simple,  honest,  and  noble 
daughters  of  the  forest,  were  enamoured  with  the  blaze  of  his  fame, 
and  charmed  with  the  martial  elegance  of  his  person.  His  whole 
life  was  an  epick.  From  his  work,  we  have  culled  a  few  scraps 
of  his  poetry.  He  probably  wrote  much  which  has  not  reached  us. 

Smith,  speaking  of  his  journeying  around  the  country— or  rather 
giving  an  account  of  it,  says, 

"  Thus  have  I  walked  a  wayless  way,  with  uncouth  pace, 

Which  no  Christian  man  did  ever  trace ; 

But  yet  I  know  this  not  affects  the  minde 

Which  cares  doth  heare  ;  as  that  which  eyes  doe  finde. 

Mentioning  the  superstition  of  the  Indians,  and  their  temples  and 
tombs,  and  of  their  offerings  to  their  god  Okee,  for  fear  of  him,  he 
gives  his  readers  a  couplet : 

"  Thus,  Feare  was  the  first  their  gods  begot : 
Till  fear  began,  their  gods  were  not." 

And,  speaking  of  their  devotions,  "  which  the  priests  begin,  while 
the  rest  follow  him ;  sometimes  he  maketh  invocations,  with  broken 
sentences,  by  starts  and  strange  passions,  and,  at  every  pause, 
gives  a  short  groan^," 

N  19 


146  LECTURES  ON 


"  Thus  secke  they  in  deepe  foolishness^ 
To  climbe  the  height  of  happiness*" 


And  further, 


'  Though  god  begetting  fear, 
Man's  blinded  mind  did  raise 
A  hell-god  to  the  ghosts  : 
A  heaven-god  to  the  boasts, 
Yea,  God  unto  the  seas ; 
Peare  did  create  all  these." 


Again : 


;  speaking  of  the  mischiefs  which  sprung  from  ignorance, 
and  the  exertion  of  good  men  to  counteract  the  influence  of  fanati- 
cism and  wickedness,  he  says, 

"  Good  men  did  ne'er  their  countries  ruine  bring 
But  when  evill  men  shall  injuries  beginne, 
Not  caring  to  corrupt  and  violate 
The  judgements'-seat  for  their  own  lucre's  sake  ; 
Then  looke  that  country  cannot  long  have  peace, 
Though  for  the  present  it  have  rest  and  ease." 

In  describing  the  scene  in  which  Pocahontas  saved  his  life,  the 
emperour,  thinking  he  could  do  all  work,  kept  him  to  make  hatchets 
and  bells,  the  former  for  the  father's,  and  the  latter  for  the  daugh- 
ter's use ;  and  the  captain,  assuming  as  lively  a  countenance  as  pos- 
sible, gives  us  the  following  poetical  version  of  his  situation : 

"  They  say  he  bore  a  pleasant  shew, 
But  sure  his  heart  was  sad 
For  who  can  pleasant  be,  and  rest, 
That  lives  in  feare  and  dread : 
And  having  life  suspected,  doth 
It  still  suspected  lead." 

Touching,  sarcastically,  upon  Master  Wingfield  and  Captaine 
Archer,  who  had  been  too  fond  of  titles  and  places,  and  were  now 
sent  home  with  Captaine  Newport,  he  offers  his  readers  the  follow- 
ing verses : 

"Oh  cursed  gold,  these  hunger-starved  movers, 
To  what  misfortunes  lead'st  thou  all  these  lovers ; 
For  all  the  China  wealth,  nor  Indies'  can 
Suffice  the  minde  of  an  av'ritious  man." 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  147 

On  Captain  Martin,  who  wished  to  load  his  ship  with  something 
resembling  gold  dust  contrary  to  Smith's  opinion,  he  writes, 

"But,  the  God  of  heaven,  he  eas'ly  can 

Immortalize  a  mortall  man 

With  glory  and  with  feme. 

The  same  God  even  as  eas'ly  may 

Afflict  a  mortall  man,  I  say, 

With  sorrow  and  with  shame." 

In  speaking  of  the  factions  in  the  colonies,  the  historian  bursts 
out  in  a  fine  thought,  such  as  might  have  furnished  a  subject  for  a 
long  poem. 

"  Till  treachery,  and  faction,  and  avarice  be  gone, 

Till  envy,  and  ambition,  and  backbiting  be  none, 

Till  perjury,  and  idlenesse,  and  injury  be  out, 

And,  truly,  till  that  villany,  the  work  of  all  that  rout ; 

Unlesse  those  vices  banished  be,  whatever  forts  you  have, 

A  hundred  walls  together  put  will  not  have  power  to  save." 

The  bards  who  wrote  congratulatory  epistles,  after  the  custom  of 
the  day,  were  numerous.  Their  lines  are  preserved  in  Smith's 
work,  and,  by  tacking  them  to  his  name,  it  is  now  known  that  such 
men  as  R.  Brathwait,  Anthony  Fereby,  Ed.  Jordan,  Richard  James, 
M.  Hawkins,  Richard  Meade,  Ed.  Ingham,  and  a  host  of  others, 
ever  existed  or  tuned  a  stave;  and  yet  they  probably  were  very- 
considerable  men  in  their  time,  for  we  observe  the  name  of  old 
Purchas,  the  historian,  among  them,  whose  congratulatory  ode  is 
the  most  stiff,  awkward,  and  wretched  piece  of  affectation,  ever 
written  in  any  age,  or  by  any  hand.  Some  of  the  others  have  a 
few  scintillations  of  genius  about  them,  but  this  has  none. 

In  "  Mortion's  New-England  Memorial"  of  the  pilgrim  fathers, 
published  in  the  first  half  century  of  their  history,  may  be  found 
several  acrosticks  and  elegies  of  that  early  period.  The  following 
lines  on  Mr.  Thos.  Hooker,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Hartford,  (Conn.) 
were  probably  written  by  John  Cotton,  the  first  minister  of  Boston, 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  Massachusetts  Colony. 

"To  see  three  things  was  holy  Austin's  wish, 
Rome  in  her  Flower,  Christ  Jems  in  the  Flesh, 
And  Paul  in  Pulpit ;  lately,  men  might  see, 
Two  first  and  more  in  Hooker's  ministry. 

Zion,  in  Beauty,  is  a  fairer  sight, 

Than  Rome  in  Flower,  with  all  her  glory  dight, 


148  LECTURES  ON 

Yet  Zion's  Beauty  did  most  clearly  shine 
In  Hooker's  Rule  and  Doctrine ;  both  divine. 

Christ  i'  the  Spirit's  more  than  Christ  in  flesh, 
Our  souls  to  quicken,  and  our  states  to  bless  1 
Yet  Christ  in  spirit,  broke  forth  mightily, 
In  faithful  Hooker's  searching  ministry. 

Paul,  in  the  pulpit,  Hooker  could  not  reach ; 
Yet  did  he  Christ  in  spirit,  so  lively  preach, 
That  living  hearers  thought  he  did  inherit 
A  double  portion  of  Paul's  lively  spirit. 

Prudent  in  rule,  in  argument  quick, 
Fervent  in  prayer,  in  preaching  powerful ; 
That  well  did  learned  Ames  record  bear, 
The  like  to  him  he  never  wont  to  hear. 

'Twas  of  Geneva's  worthies  said,  with  wonder, 
(Those  worthies  three)  Far  ell  was  wont  to  thunder  j 
Vtret,  like  rain,  on  tender  grass  to  shower  j 
But  Calvin,  lively  oracles  to  pour. 

All  these  in  Hooker's  spirit  did  remain, 
A  son  of  thunder,  and  a  shower  of  rain ;  * 
A  pourer  forth  of  lively  oracles, 
In  saving  souls,  the  sum  of  miracles. 

Now  blessed  Hooker,  thou'rt  set  on  high, 

Above  the  thankless  world,  and  cloudy  sky ; 

Do  thou  of  all  thy  labour,  reap  the  crown, 

Whilst  we,  here,  reap  the  seed  which  thou  hast  sown !" 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  pen  of  Peter  Bulkeley,  of 
Concord,  whose  reputation  as  a  latin  poet  and  scholar,  we  have 
mentioned  in  another  lecture. 

UA  lamentationfor  the  death  of  that  precious  and  worthy  minister 
of  Jesus  Christ,  Mr.  John  Hooker,  Anno  Domini,  1647." 
"  Come  sighs,  come  sorrows,  let's  lament  this  rod, 
Which  hath  bereaved  us  of  this  man  of  God ; 
A  man  of  God,  which  came  from  God  to  men, 
And  now  from  them,  is  gone  to  God  agen. 
Bid  joy  depart :  bid  merriment  begone ; 
Bid  friends  stand  by ;  sit  mournful  and  alone. 
But  oh !  what  sorrow  can  be  to  suffice, 
Though  heaven  and  earth  were  filled  with  our  cries. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  140 

Let  Hartford  sigh,  and  say,  '  I've  lost  a  treasure ;' 
Let  all  New-England  mourn  at  God's  displeasure, 
In  taking  from  us  one  more  gracious 
Than  is  the  gold  of  Ophir  precious. 
Sweet  was  the  savour  which  his  grace  did  give, 
It  seasoned  all  the  place  where  he  did  live.    . 
His  name  did,  as  an  ointment,  give  it's  smell, 
And  all  bare  witness  that  it  savoured  well." 


In  a  few  years  after  writing  the  elegy  of  his  friend,  Hooker,  Mr. 
Cotton  died  in  Boston: 

«r 

" Poets  themselves  must  fall  like  those  they  sung; 
"  Deaf  the  praised  ear,  and  mute  the  tuneftd  tongue ;" 

and  was  mourned  and  praised  in  a  funeral  elegy,  by  his  friend,  John 
Norton,  from  which  we  make  an  extract : 

"And  after  Winthrop's,  Hooker's,  ShepparcPs  hearse, 
Doth  Cotton's  death  call  for  a  mourning  verse  J 
Thy  will  be  done !  yet,  Lord,  who  deal'st  thus, 
Make  this  great  death  expedient  for  us. 
Imther  pulled  down  the  pope,  Calvin,  the  prelate  slew ; 
Of  Calvin's  lapse,  chief  cures  to  Cotton  due. 
Cotton,  whose  learning,  temper,  godliness, 
The  German  Phoenix,  lively  did  express. 
Melancthon's  all — may  Luther's  word  but  pass 
Melancthon's  all  in  our  great  Cotton  was; 
Than  him  in  flesh,  scarce  dwelt  a  better  one, 
So  great's  our  loss,  when  such  a  spirit's  gone. 
Whilst  he  was  here,  life  was  more  life  to  me ; 
Now  he  is  not,  death  hence,  less  death  shall  be. 
That  comets  great  men's  death  do  oft  forego, 
This  present  comet  doth  too  sadly  shew ; 
This  prophet  dead,  yet  must  in's  doctrine  speak, 
This  comet  paith,  else  must  New-England  break. 
Whate'er  it  be,  may  heaven  avert  it  far, 
That  meteors  should  succeed  our  greatest  star. 
In  Boston's  orb,  Winthrop  and  Cotton  were ; 
These  lights  extinct,  dark  is  our  hemisphere. 
In  Boston,  once,  how  much  shined  of  our  glory, 
We  now  lament,  posterity  will  story. 
Let  Boston  live,  who  had  and  saw  their  worth, 
And  did  them  honour,  both  in  life  and  death. 
To  him  New-England  trust  in  this  distress, 
Who  will  not  leave  his  exiles  comfortless. 
N2 


1W  LECTURES  ON 

The  following  lines  were  written  upon  the  same  occasion,  by  B. 

WOODBRIDGE. 


A  living,  breathing  bible ;  tables,  where 

Both  covenants  at  large,  engraven  were. 

Gospel  and  law  in  's  heart  had  each  its  column, 

His  head,  an  index  to  the  sacred  -column. 

His  very  name  a  titk-page ;  and  next, 

His  life,  a  commentary  on  the  text. 

O,  what  a  monument  of  glorious  work, 

When,  in  a  new  edition,  he  cornea  forth, 

Without  errata,  may  we  think  he'll  be, 

In  leaves  and  covers  of  eternitie !     --* 

A  man  of  might,  at  heavenly  eloquence 

To  fix  the  ear,  and  charm  the  conscience ; 

As  if  Apollos  were  revived  in  him, 

Or  he  had  learned  of  a  Seraphim  ; 

Spake  many  tongues  in  one  :  one  voice  and  sense 

Wrought  joy  and  sorrow,  fear  and  confidence. 


A  star,  that  in  our  Eastern  England  rose, 
Thence  hurried  by  the  blast  of  stupid  foes, 
Whose  foggy  darkness  and  benumbed  senses 
Brooked  not  his  dazzling  influences. 
Thus  did  he  move  on  earth,  from  east  to  west ; 
Here  he  went  down,  and  up  to  heaven  for  rest. 
Nor  from  himself,  whilst  living,  doth  he  vary, 
His  death  hath  made  him  an  ubiquitary. 
Where  is  his  sepulchre,  is  hard  to  tell, 
Who  in  a  thousand  sepulchres  doth  dwell, 
(Their  hearts,  I  mean,  whom  he  hath  left  behind) 
In  them  his  sacred  relick's  now  enshrined. 

Governor  Bradford,  of  the  old  colony,  was  another  of  the  primi- 
tive poets.  His  muse  was  rather  timid  ;  for  it  does  not  appear  that 
he  published  many  of  his  productions  in  rhyme ;  but  he  certainly 
left  some  of  them  to  his  posterity.  They  were  narrative  and  de- 
scriptive. Some  portions  of  his  poetic  pains  had  a  most  singular 
fate.  The  manuscript  was  carried  to  Boston  by  some  of  his  de- 
scendants, and  there  it  remained  for  more  than  a  century ;  but, 
when  the  British  forces  left  Boston,  they  took  it  to  Halifax ;  and, 
some  years  since,  an  American  gentleman  found  a  portion  of 
his  "  Account  of  New  England  in  verse,"  in  the  shop  of  a  pastry 
cook  j  no  uncommon  highway  to  oblivion.  The  relict  contained 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  151 

three  or  four  hundred  lines,  and  is  well  worth  preserving,  which  has 
been  done  by  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  hi  their  valuable 
collections.  I  shall  introduce  his  lamentation  on  the  avarice  of  tra- 
ders getting  the  better  of  their  patriotism  and  prudence.  It  has  much 
of  good  sense  about  it,  if  not  of  harmonious  verse. 


"  But  a  most  desperate  mischief  here  is  grown, 
And  a  great  shame  it  is  it  should  be  known ; 
But  why  should  I  conceal  so  foul  a  thing 
That  quickly  may  our  hurt  and  ruin  bring  I 
Por  base  covetousness  hath  got  such  a  sway, 
As  our  own  safety  we  ourselves  betray ; 
Por  these  fierce  natives,  they  are  now  so  fill'd 
With  guns  and  muskets,  and  in  them  so  skill'd, 
As  that  they  may  keep  the  English  well  in  awe, 
And  when  they  please,  give  to  them  the  law; 
And  of  powder  and  shot  they  have  such  store, 
As  sometimes  they  refuse  e'en  to  buy  more ; 
Flints,  screw-platee,  and  moulds  for  all  sorts  of  shot 
They  have,  and  skill  to  use  them  they  have  got ; 
And  mend  and  new  stock  their  pieces  they  can 
As  well  in  most  things  as  an  Englishman. 

"Thus,  like  madmen,  we  have  put  them  in  a  way, 
With  our  own  weapons,  us  to  kill  and  slay ; 
That  gain  hereof  to  make  they  know  so  well, 
The  fowl  to  kill  and  us  the  feathers  sell, 
For  us  to  seek  for  deer,  it  doth  not  boot, 
Since  now,  with  guns,  themselves  at  them  can  shoot. 
The  garbage  of  which  we  no  use  did  make, 
They  have  been  glad  to  gather  up  and  take ; 
But  now  they  can  themselves  fully  supply, 
And  the  English  of  them  are  glad  to  buy. 
And  yet,  if  that  was  all,  it  might  be  borne, 
Though  hereby  the  English  make  themselves  a  scorn." 

It  has  lately  been  discovered  that  Roger  Williams,  the  first  settler 
of  Providence,  was  a  poet,  and  a  very  good  one  too.  There  are 
some  fine  specimens  of  his  poetical  powers  in  his  treatise  upon  the 
Indian  language.  It  has  more  directness  and  ease,  without  the 
quaintness,  which  was  common  to  the  times. 

Thomas  Wilde  and  John  Elliott,  the  first  ministers  of  Roxbury, 
were  considered  as  among  the  great  poets  of  their  time.  They, 
with  Mather,  made  a  version  of  the  psalms.  The  work  was  wretched 
enough}  but  Wilde  sometimes  wrote  with  some  spirit,  and  even 


153  LECTURES  ON 

taste,  for  that  period.  Some  of  his  lines  on  Danforth  are  quite  tole- 
rable, and  Cotton  Mather  has  quoted  them  in  his  account  of  Samuel 
Danforth,  who  was  a  scholar,  and  second  fellow  of  Harvard  Col- 
lege. A  few  of  them  are  given  from  the  Magnalia. 

"Mighty  in  scripture,  searching  out  the  sense, 
All  the  hard  things  of  it,  unfolding  thence ; 
He  lived  each  truth ;  his  faith,  love,  tenderness, 
None  can  to  th'  life,  as  did  his  life  express  : 
Our  minds  with  gospel  his  rich  lecture  fed ; 
Luke  and  his  life,  at  once  are  finished : 
Our  HEW  BUILT  CHURCH  now  suffers  too  by  this, 
Larger  its  windows,  but  its  lights  are  less." 

The  apostle  to  the  Indians,  the  colleague  of  Wilde,  had  a  most 
unconquerable  propensity  to  deal  in  verse.  The  burying  grounds,  in 
Roxbury,  bear  testimony  to  this.  He  furnished  epitaphs  for  all  his 
dear  departed  friends.  One  of  his  biographers  thinks  it  is  best  to 
let  his  poetry  moulder  and  sink  into  the  ground  with  the  stones  on 
which  it  was  engraven.  He  is  fearful,  if  his  epitaphs  were  disco- 
vered, their  uncouth  verses  might  excite  a  little  merriment  in  the 
present  generation ;  and,  using  Cotton  Mather's  expression,  "  lest 
the  children  might  play  with  the  beards  of  their  fathers,"  which  old 
Mather  seems  to  think  a  grievous  thing.  It  would  have  grieved 
him,  indeed,  could  he  have  foreseen  that  the  beard  of  reverend  age 
would  not  only  be  played  with,  but  often  plucked  and  scattered  to 
the  winds;  not,  indeed,  irreverently,  but  in  the  search  of  truth;— 
Mather's  opinions  on  witchcraft,  for  instance.  Elliott  is  not  the  only 
instance  of  a  great  man  making  a  ludicrous,  if  not  a  silly,  poet ;  but, 
if  not  the  only,  he  is  certainly  the  most  conspicuous  example.  He 
was  deeply  imbued  with  every  beautiful  sentiment  in  the  classicks. 
The  romantick  tales  of  suffering  love,  and  unyielding  fortitude,  and 
deathless  friendship,  were  familiar  to  him ;  not  only  these,  but  he  had 
read,  in  the  original,  the  loves  of  David  and  Jonathan,  and  the  sweet 
psalmist's  lamentations  over  the  bodies  of  Saul  and  his  son ;  sur- 
passing, when  rightly  understood,  all  other  elegies.  He  had  heard 
the  lamentations  of  the  Indian  father,  who  had  received  his  warrior- 
son  a  corse  from  the  battle-field ;  had  listened  to  the  murmurings 
and  bursts  of  grief  which  filled  the  wigwam  through  the  long 
watches  of  the  night ;  and  had,  by  his  eloquence  and  his  prayers, 
soothed  the  convulsions  of  nature,  and  given  repose  to  the  parental 
heart.  Yet,  with  every  poetick  image  in  his  mind,  the  moment  he 
attempted  to  put  a  thought  into  verse,  every  particle  of  inspiration 
vanished.  I  leave  to  philosophy  to  analyze  such  a  mind,  and  to  give 
a  reason  why  an  attempt  at  measure  should  stupify  such  an  Intel- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  153 

lect,  and  why  such  a  passion  should  be  for  ever  operating  on  such 
a  mind. 

Michael  Wigglesworth,  who  was  graduated  in  1651,  and  whose 
name  I  have  mentioned  in  another  lecture,  was  a  poet  of  great  re- 
nown in  his  day.  He  published  a  work,  "  The  Day  of  Doom,  or  a 
Poetical  Description  of  the  Great  and  Last  Judgement"  This  had 
reached  the  fourth  edition  in  1701 ;  and,  of  course,  could  not  have 
been,  as  it  has  sometimes  been  asserted,  an  imitation  of  Young's 
"  Last  Day,"  which  was  written  several  years  afterwards.  The  poet 
of  the  old  world  had  read  the  work  of  the  new,  as  every  thing  pub- 
lished in  this  country  soon  found  its  way  home. 

About  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth  century,  Thomas 
Makin  was  known  as  a  poet.  He  had  been  a  teacher  of  the  first 
school  established  in  Pennsylvania,  and  wrote  a  Latin  poem  in  very 
good  taste.  It  was  a  descriptive,  sylvan,  and  statistical  account  of 
the  settlement  of  Pennsylvania ;  which  was  translated  by  Proud, 
the  first  regular  historian  of  that  state,  and  inserted,  together  with 
the  translation,  in  his  work.  In  1717,  Francis  Knapp,  who  was 
educated  at  Oxford,  wrote,  from  Watertown,  a  poetical  address, 
congratulating  Pope  on  the  publication  of  his  Windsor  Forest. 
This  epistle  was  written  in  the  best  style  of  poetry  which  had  then 
appeared  in  this  country ;  but  this  rather  shows  the  general  progress 
of  poetry  in  England  than  in  this  country,  for  he  had  settled  here  only 
a  few  years  before.  In  that  day  the  writing  of  verses  in  Latin  and 
English  formed  a  part  of  the  academical  exercises  in  tha  English 
universities.  They  had  not  then  come  so  fully  into  the  erroneous 
doctrine  that  a  taste  for  poetry  was  rather  natural  than  acquired,  as 
their  successors  have  affected  to  believe.  The  united  efforts  of  na- 
ture and  education  are  required  to  reach  distinction  as  an  orator  or 
a  poet.  It  is  education  as  well  as  nature  which  makes  the  Itidian 
orator.  The  most  distinguished  aboriginal  orator  I  ever  heard,  an 
Osage,  once  told  me,  that  he  had  spent  more  than  half  of  his  life, 
(he  was  then,  he  said,  fifty  years  of  age,)  in  communing  with  the 
great  Spirit,  in  contemplating  his  works,  and  in  listening  to  the 
speech  of  the  old  and  the  wise,  to  make  himself  an  orator.  What 
is  this  but  education? 

Among  the  most  extraordinary  productions  of  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century,  are  those  of  Roger  Wolcott,  of  Connecticut.  He 
published  a  volume  of  poems  in  1725,  when  he  was  forty-six  years 
of  age,  one  or  more  of  them  being  of  considerable  length.  Mr. 
Bulkley,  of  Colchester,  wrote  a  preface  for  the  poem.  Bulkley  was 
a  poet  himself,  as  was  also  the  Reverend  Timothy  Edwards,  to  whom 
it  was  dedicated  by  a  poetical  address.  The  writer  of  a  preface,  and 
the  person  to  whom  a  volume  was  dedicated,  were  considered  as 
20 


154  LECTURES  ON 

sponsors  for  the  moral  tendency,  at  least,  of  the  production ;  and  as 
these  friends  of  the  author  were  distinguished  scholars  in  their  day 
and  generation,  their  opinions  were,  of  course,  decisive  of  the  merits 
of  the  work  at  the  time.  Wolcott  was  a  self-taught  man.  He  raised 
himself  from  the  humblest  walks  of  life,  without  a  single  day's  in- 
struction in  any  school,  and  became  an  orator,  a  poet,  a  commissary- 
general  in  the  expedition  to  Canada,  in  1740 ;  a  major-general,  in 
1745,  at  Louisburg ;  and  a  chief-justice,  and  chief-magistrate  of  his 
native  state.  This  did  not  satisfy  him.  He  must  be  an  author  also ; 
not  only  an  author,  but  a  poet's  wreath  was  wanting  to  fill  up  the 
measure  of  his  desire  for  glory.  The  following  is  his  dedicatory 
address  to  Edwards,  which  shows  that  he  could  praise  as  well 
as  command  and  fight,  and  had  no  ordinary  appetency  for  poetick 
fame. 

To  the  Reverend  Mr.  Timothy  Edwards. 

Si*, 

At  sight  of  this,  you  scarcely  will  excuse 
My  broken  numbers  should  affront  your  muse, 
Whose  single  elegance  outdoes  the  Nine, 
And  all  their  olFrings  at  Apollo's  shrine. 

But,  sir,  they  come  not  to  AFFRONT,  but  stand 
Trembling  before  your  awful  seat  to  hear 
From  you  their  sentence  that's  definitive, 
Whether  they  shall  be  killed,  or  saved  alive. 

Yet,  where  you  censure,  sir,  don't  make  the  verse 
You  pinned  to  Glover's  venerable  hearse, 
The  standard  for  their  trial ;  nor  enact 
You  never  will  acquit  what's  less  exact 

Sir,  that  will  never  do ;  rules  so  severe 
Would  ever  leave  Apollo's  altars  bare, 
His  priests  no  service :  all  must  starve  together, 
And  fair  Parnassus'  verdant  tops  must  wither. 

Sure  that  was  not  the  purpose  or  design 
Of  the  fair  sisters  when  they  did  combine 
Themselves  in  your  assistance ;  no,  their  mind 
In  that  great  work,  was  otherwise  designed. 

They,  having  often  to  their  trouble  seen 
Many  bold  poets  launch  on  Hippocrene, 
Men  that  might  a  handsome  voyage  made, 
Had  they  but  kept  them  to  the  coasting  trade ; 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  156 

But  ranging  far  upon  those  swelling  seas, 
Cauie  home  with  broken  lines  and  voyages; 
Grieved  at  their  losses  and  miscarriages, 
A  council  met  at  Hippocrenides ; 

They  vote  a  remedy ;  which  to  effect, 
That  their  Herculean  pillar  to  erect, 
And,  to  advise  adventurers  once  for  all, 
Wroto  ne  plus  ultra  on  its  pedestal. 

Since  which,  there's  none  that  dare  presume  to  go 
Beyond  that  wonder  then  set  up  by  you ; 
No,  nor  attain  it  in  their  navigation : — 
That  sacred  work  is  not  for  IMITATION  t 

Conscious  of  this,  you  see  my  muse  ne'er  soars 
To  ffibla's  top,  nor  the  Aonian  shares ; 
Nor  doth  pretend  to  raptures  that  might  suit 
Pindarus?  muse  or  great  Apollo's  lute. 

Then  weigh  them  candidly,  and  if  that  you 
Shall  once  pronounce  a  longer  life  their  due ; 
And,  for  their  patron,  will  yourself  engage, 
They  may,  perhaps,  adventure  on  the  stage : 
But  if  deny'd,  they,  blushing,  back  retire 
To  burn  themselves  on  their  own  funeral  pyre. 
Windsor,  Jan.  4,  1723-3.  R.  W. 

There  are  to  be  found  at  the  present  day,  many  of  the  old  narra- 
tive pieces,  written  something  after  the  manner  of  the  old  English 
Ballad ;  and  are  considered  as  veritable  scraps  of  history.  It  was 
then  a  fundamental  law  of  the  muse,  which  she  has  not  always  re- 
garded, in  every  age  of  her  communications,  to  tell  nothing  but 
the  truth.  The  Indian  wars,  began,  in  good  earnest,  in  1635, 
and  continued,  with  only  a  few  intervals,  until  1763 ;  during  which 
time,  there  were  many  "  bloody  massacres"  of  our  people  by  the 
foe,  sometimes  by  the  Indians  alone,  but  oftener  by  the  Indians  and 
French  together.  These  fights  were  full  of  savage  vengeance,  and 
what  was  thought  to  be  retaliatory  justice.  Instances  of  great 
courage  and  suffering  often  occurred,  and  afforded  many  excellent 
opportunities  for  those  disposed  to  exercise  their  poetical  talents. 
In  fact,  these  instances  imposed  upon  them  the  necessity  of  trying 
their  hands  at  narration  and  elegy.  There  have  been  a  thousand 
descriptions  of  single  combats  which  have  delighted  the  reading 
world  in  every  age ;  but  few  have  ever  attempted  to  awaken  the 
sympathies  of  mankind  by  poetical  descriptions  of  such  awful  exter- 


156  LECTURES  ON 

minations  of  the  human  race,  as  those  of  Austerlitz,  Jena,  Wagram, 
or  Waterloo.  Hector  and  Achilles,  ^Eneas  and  Turnus,  Smith  and 
his  Turks,  Boon  and  his  Indians ;  combats  in  which  every  move- 
ment may  be  seen  at  once ;  these  are  such  as  are  attractive  to  all 
minds.  We  can  sympathize  and  take  a  part  in  such  actions ;  but 
not  so  in  those  tremendous  instances  of  the  carnage  of  the  human 
race.  These  individual  cases  could  easily  be  brought  to  bear  on 
families  and  villages,  for  there  was  hardly  a  family  that  had  not 
been  called  to  mourn  the  loss  of  some  one  of  its  members ;  and 
there  were  but  few  villages  on  the  frontiers  that  had  escaped  savage 
vengeance,  during  the  long  period  of  these  bloody  conflicts.  All 
these  events  were  then  commemorated  by  some  village  poet,  set  to 
some  mournful  measure,  and  were  so  preserved,  perhaps  for  many 
years,  before  they  got  into  print,  if  they  ever  did.  Some  of  these 
doleful  ditties  were,  at  length,  seized  upon  by  the  ballad-mongers, 
and  exhibited  at  their  windows,  in  sheets,  with  two  columns,  and 
were  called  "  A  Pair  of  Verses."  These  sheets  were  often  adorned 
with  coffins  and  cross-bones,  and  sometimes,  by  way  of  high  at- 
traction, were  surmounted  with  the  "  effigies  of  salvages,"  who  were 
exhibited 

"  Like  fierce  barbarians,  grinning  o'er  their  prey," 

or,  with  bended  bow,  or  glittering  tomahawk,  ready  to  destroy  de- 
crepitude and  infancy,  when  their  sturdy  opposers  had  bit  the  dust. 
They  figured,  at  these  shops,  with  Chevy  Chase,  Handsome 
Harry,  Captain  Kidd,  and  others  of  the  same  class. 

Among  the  most  respectable  of  these  productions,  is  one  which 
has  come  down  to  us,  certainly  to  me,  anonymously  ;  an  account 
of  Captain  LovewelPs  fight  at  Pigwacket,  on  the  8th  of  May,  1724. 
This  battle  excited  a  great  deal  of  sympathy  at  the  time,  and  the 
event  has  been  oftener  commemorated  than  others,  from  the  fact 
that  every  minute  circumstance  of  the  battle  has  been  more  faith- 
fully described  than  other  occurrences  in  the  Indian  wars.  Symmes, 
a  learned  divine,  of  Bradford,  which  was  on  the  highway  taken  by 
the  relict  of  LovewelPs  men,  as  they  journeyed  homeward,  collect- 
ed from  them  the  history  of  the  fight,  as  he  entertained  them  at  his 
hospitable  mansion,  and  gave  it  in  a  spirited  sermon  to  his  parish- 
ioners from  the  pulpit,  which  was  afterwards  published  with  notes. 
Penhallow,  of  Portsmouth,  who  was  then  writing  a  history  of  In- 
dian Wars,  took  the  narrative  from  some  one  of  the  survivors,  and 
his  statement  varies  but  little  from  the  others ;  but,  if  all  these  had 
been  lost,  the  ballad  I  have  selected  would  have  given  to  the  pre- 
sent generation  a  very  correct  idea  of  the  fight.  At  that  time, 
there  were  other  circumstances,  also,  which  gave  this  battle  much 
celebrity.  The  character  of  the  men  who  figured  in  it  was  one. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  157 

Lovewell  himself  was  a  man  of  note.  The  very  act  of  venturing, 
with  only  a  handful  of  men,  so  far  in  the  wilderness,  was  consider- 
ed heroick ;  and  such  was  the  state  of  feeling,  that  nothing  could  be 
considered  as  presumptuous  at  that  tune.  All  his  men  were  of  the 
most  virtuous  and  religious  class  of  society,  and  were  well  con- 
nected. Many  of  them  were  heads  of  families,  whose  loss  was  severe- 
ly felt  in  that  thinly  settled  population.  Among. the  number  who 
fell,  was  Mr.  Jonathan  Frye,  a  student  hi  divinity,  who  was  Love- 
well's  chaplain,  and  who  had  joined  this  little  band,  from  some 
affair  of  the  heart.  He  made  himself  conspicuous  in  the  fight, 
and,  as  described,  acted  with  reckless  valour,  which  is  often  found 
to  belong  to  such  a  state  of  mind.  The  fan-  one  to  whom  he  was 
thought  by  his  friends  to  be  imprudently  attached,  was  not  content 
with  the  praise  others  were  ready  to  bestow  upon  the  lost  object 
of  her  affections ;  and  although  only  fourteen  years  of  age,  struck 
her  harp,  in  mournful  lays,  upon  her  Philander's  fate,  and  pro- 
duced an  elegy  which  has  survived  to  this  day,  being  lately  found 
in  an  ancient  manuscript  of  a  gentleman  of  the  native  place  of  the 
lovers,  and  lately  transmitted  to  me.  If  it  does  not  burn  with  a 
Sapphic  blaze,  it  gives  more  of  the  light  of  history  than  all  the 
odes  of  the  Lesbian  dame  on  her  lost  Phaon.  Miss  Susannah 
Rogers  calls  on  the  muse  to  assist  her  in  describing  the  youthful 
warrior,  who  afar  off  was  resting  without  his  shroud  on  the  field 
of  glory.  She  says,  that  his  person  was  comely,  his  age  just  twenty- 
one,  his  genius  of  the  highest  excellence,  and  that  he  was  the  only 
son  of  his  parents,  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  valour,  his 
piety,  his  prayers  amidst  the  fight,  his  wounds  all  bleeding,  pass  hi 
review  before  her  streaming  eyes,  and  she  sees  the  "howling  wil- 
derness" where  he  fell.  She  notes  the  fortitude  and  resignation 
with  which  he  died,  or  rather  his  exhibition  of  it,when  they  left  him 
to  die,  for  he  was  not  dead,  when  his  companions  were  under  the 
necessity  of  leaving  him  to  perish.  The  parental  grief  is  not  for- 
gotten, and  her  own  loss  is  touched  upon,  with  truth  and  delicacy. 
Thus  every  age  furnishes  matter  for  grief  and  subjects  for  the  poet 
of  a  melancholy  cast.  I  will  give  you  the  wjlole  of  the  balled  on 
the  fight,  for  it  is  a  fair  specimen  of  that  style  of  writing ;  but  the 
elegy  of  the  bereaved  fair,  is  too  long  for  my  purpose. 

Of  worthy  Captain  Lovewell,  I  purpose  now  to  sing, 
How  valiantly  he  served  his  country  and  his  king  ; 
He  and  his  valiant  soldiers  did  range  the  woods  full  wide, 
And  hardships  they  endured  to  quell  the  Indian's  pride. 


158  LECTURES  ON 

'Twas  nigh  unto  Pigwacket,  on  the  eighth  day  of  May, 
They  spied  a  rebel  Indian,  soon  after  break  of  day ; 
He  on  a  bank  was  walking,  upon  a  neck  of  land, 
Which  leads  into  a  pond,  as  we're  made  to  understand. 

Our  men  resolved  to  have  him,  and  travelled  two  miles  round, 
Until  they  met  the  Indian,  who  boldly  stood  his  ground ; 
Then  spoke  up  Captain  Lovewell,  "Take  you  good  heed,"  says  he, 
"  This  rogue  is  to  decoy  us,  I  very  plainly  see. 

w  The  Indians  lie  in  ambush,  in  some  place  nigh  at  hand, 
In  order  to  surround  us,  upon  this  neck  of  land ; 
Therefore  we'll  march  in  order,  and  each  man  leave  his  pack, 
That  we  may  briskly  fight  them,  when  they  make  their  attack." 

They  came  unto  the  Indian,  who  did  them  thus  defy, 
As  soon  as  they  came  nigh  him,  two  guns  he  did  let  fly, 
Which  wounded  Captain  Lovewell,  and  likewise  one  man  more, 
But  when  this  rogue  was  running,  they  laid  him  in  his  gore. 

When  they  had  scalped  the  Indian,  they  went  back  to  the  spot 
Where  they  had  laid  their  packs  down,  but  thejtthey  found  them  not; 
For  the  Indians  having  spy'd  them,  when  they  them  down  did  lay, 
Did  seize  them  for  their  plunder,  and  carry  them  away. 

These  rebels  lay  in  ambush,  this  very  place  hard  by, 

So  that  an  English  soldier  did  one  of  them  espy, 

And  cried  out,  "here's  an  Indian,"  with  that  they  started  out, 

As  fiercely  as  old  lions,  and  hideously  did  shout. 

With  that  our  valiant  English,  all  gave  a  loud  huzza, 
To  shew  the  rebel  Indians  they  feared  them  not  a  straw ; 
So  now  the  fight  began,  and  as  fiercely  as  could  be, 
The  Indians  ran  up  to  them,  but  soon  were  forced  to  flee. 

Then  spoke  up  Captain  Lovewell,  when  first  the  fight  began, 
"  Fight  on,  my  valiant  heroes !  you  see  they  fell  like  rain." 
For  as  we  are  infonned,  the  Indians  were  so  thick, 
A  man  could  scarcely  fire  a  gun  and  not  some  of  them  hit 

Then  did  the  rebels  try  their  best,  our  soldiers  to  surround, 

But  they  could  not  accomplish  it,  because  there  was  a  pond 

To  which  our  men  retreated,  and  covered  all  the  rear, 

The  rogues  were  forced  to  flee  them,  although  they  skulked  for  fear. 

Two  logs  there  were  behind  them,  that  close  together  lay, 
Without  being  discovered,  they  could  not  get  away  f 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  159 

Therefore  our  valiant  English,  they  travell'd  in  a  row, 
And  at  a  handsome  distance,  as  they  were  wont  to  go. 

'Twas  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  first  the  fight  began, 
And  fiercely  did  continue  until  the  setting  sun ; 
Excepting  that  the  Indians,  some  hours  before  'twas  night, 
Drew  off  into  the  bushes,  and  ceased  awhile  to  fight. 

But  soon  again  returned,  in  fierce  and  furious  mood, 
Shouting  as  in  the  morning,  but  yet  not  half  so  loud ; 
For  as  we  are  informed,  so  thick  and  fast  they  fell, 
Scarce  twenty  of  their  number  at  night  could  get  home  welL 

And  our  valiant  English,  till  midnight  there  did  stay, 

To  see  whether  the  rebels  would  have  another  fray  ; 

But  they  no  more  returning,  they  made  off  towards  their  home, 

And  brought  away  their  wounded,  as  far  as  they  could  come. 

Mather  Byles  was  born  in  Boston  in  1706.  He  was  settled  as  a 
clergyman  in  the  south  end  of  his  native  town,  was  distinguished  for 
his  wit  and  talents,  and  was  a  poet  of  no  ordinary  character.  He 
wrote  with  taste,  but  did  not  write  much.  He  was  one  of  the 
correspondents  of  Dr.  Watts ;  and  also  one  of  the  first  in  America, 
to  induce  his  parishioners  to  introduce  the  Psalms  and  Hymns  of 
that  pious  divine  and  respectable  poet,  who  laboured  in  almost 
every  branch  of  literature,  for  every  age,  from  lisping  infancy  to 
full  grown  philosophers.  Contemporary  with  Byles,  was  Joseph 
Green,  born  in  the  same  year,  and  graduated  in  1726.  He  was  a 
wit,  a  classical  scholar,  and  a  poet.  He  was  also  an  intelligent 
merchant,  of  great  integrity,  and  soon  became  a  man  of  fortune. 
He  annoyed  the  politicians  of  the  time  with  satire.  He  put  Bel- 
cher's speeches  into  rhyme,  and  Shirley  did  not  escape  his  lash. 
Among  his  poetical  pieces,  was  an  "  Elegy  on  Mr.  Old  Tenor,"  and 
a  satire  upon  a  procession  of  freemasons,  which  were  much  ad- 
mired at  the  time,  from  the  happy  delineations  they  contained. 
But  masonry  in  that  quarter  has  changed  its  character  since  that 
time.  Green  cared  nothing  for  immortality  as  a  wit  or  poet.  To 
enjoy  the  hour  of  recreation  was  the  extent  of  his  wishes  ;  and, 
stranger  still,  though  often  solicited  to  take  offices  of  political  ho- 
nour, he  laughed  at  them  also.  He  was  appointed  a  Counsellor  by 
mandamus,  and  so  soon  as  he  received  the  summons,  sent  his 
resignation  to  Gov.  Gage.  And,  before  he  filed  his  summons  in 
mercantile  exactness,  as  it  was  his  habit  to  do  with  every  commu- 
nication he  received,  he  wrote,  as  a  gentleman  well  acquainted 
with  him  informed  me,  a  short  ode  on  the  back  of  the  document, 


160  LECTURES  ON 

that  was  an  elegant  satire  upon  the  times,  and  which,  like  a  two- 
edged  sword,  cut  both  ways.  He  belonged  to  a  club  of  wits,  who 
satirized  every  one  they  chose  to  make  amusement  of;  and,  fre- 
quently, threw  a  squib  at  each  other.  Some  of  Green's  com- 
panions made  this  epitaph  on  him. 

[<  Siste,  viator  ;  here  lies  one, 

Whose  life  was  whim,  whose  soul  was  pun  ; 

And,  if  you  go  too  near  his  hearse, 

He'll  joke  you,  both  in  prose  and  verse." 

1743. 

John  Osborn  was  born  in  the  year  1713,  and  was  graduated  in 
1735.  He  studied  divinity,  but  it  was  supposed  he  found  himself 
not  sufficiently  orthodox  to  be  popular  in  Massachussetts,  at  that 
time.  He  read  medicine,  was  of  a  sickly  constitution,  and  died  at 
about  forty  years  of  age.  He  was  a  poet  of  considerable  talent. 
He  wrote,  about  the  time  he  left  college,  a  beautiful  elegy  on  the 
death  of  a  young  sister.  It  is  tender  and  philosophical.  He  wrote 
also  a  whaling  song,  which  has  been  sung  a  thousand  times  in  the 
North  and  South  Pacific,  and  in  the  Norwegian  Seas.  It  is  a  good 
description  of  the  manly  sport  of  hunting  the  monarch  of  the 
mighty  deep. 

Thomas  Godfrey,  who  died  about  the  year  1761,  was  the  son  of 
Thomas  Godfrey,  the  mathematician,  mentioned  by  Franklin  as 
the  inventor  of  the  Quadrant  now  so  much  in  use,  called  Hadley's 
Quadrant ;  Hadley  having  .had  the  honour  of  giving  a  name  to  the 
instrument  which  he  stole  from  Godfrey,  and,  for  a  while,  the  cre- 
dit of  the  invention  also.  The  elder  Godfrey  belonged  to  a  society 
hi  Philadelphia,  with  Dr.  Franklin  and  other  men  of  inquiring 
minds ;  the  son  was  for  a  time  an  apprentice  to  a  watchmaker,  but 
preferring  letters  to  the  mechanick  arts,  he  left  the  business  of  a 
watchmaker,  and  obtained  a  subaltern's  commission  in  the  Penn- 
sylvania forces  raised  in  1758  to  take  Fort  Duquesne,  three  years 
after  Braddock's  defeat.  He  continued  in  the  army  until  the  troops 
were  disbanded,  and  then  he  commenced  business  as  a  Commission 
Merchant  in  North  Carolina,  where  he  died,  by  over  exertion  in  the 
extremely  hot  weather  of  that  climate.  He  was  highly  esteemed, 
and  his  premature  death,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  was  deeply 
lamented.  He  had  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the  muses,  and 
had,  from  time  to  time,  thrown  off  many  fugitive  pieces,  which 
were  gathered  up  by  his  friend  Mr.  Evans,  and  published  in  the 
year  1763,  under  the  title  of  juvenile  poems,  with  a  dramatick 
work,  called,  "  The  Prince  of  Parthia,  a  Tragedy."  This  is,  pro- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  161 

bably,  the  first  tragedy  ever  written  in  this  country.  Many  a 
bloody  one  had,  however,  been  enacted  from  1755  to  1761,  as  well 
as  before  that  time,  from  Fort  Duquesne  to  the  plains  of  Abraham. 
The  following  extract  from  an  ode  of  his,  on  friendship,  is  smooth, 
easy  verse,  and  is  not  wanting  in  spirit.  If  the  writer  of  such  lines 
had  lived,  and  continued  his  devotion  to  the  muses,  in  the  maturity 
of  his  judgement,  we  should  have  had  something  of  note  to  show 
from  his  pen.  What  he  has  left  is  sufficient  to  give  him  a  rank 
among  the  poets  of  that  day.  In  his  pieces,  there  is  abundant  evi- 
dence that  he  was  acquainted  with  Dryden  and  Pope,  and,  probably, 
with  other  writers  of  the  Augustan  age  of  Queen  Anne.  All  his 
lines  are  pure  in  their  morality,  and  delicate  in  their  sentiment ;  and 
this  is  no  small  matter  in  a  poet ;  for,  in  that  age,  after  the  writings  of 
Swift  were  diffused,  we  had  not  a  few  poets,  of  whom  it  might  be 
said  that  "  the  muses  were  fond  to  inspire,  but  ashamed  to  avow." 

A  PINDARICK  ODE  ON  FRIENDSHIP. 

By  Thomas  Godfrey. 

FRIENDSHIP  !  all  hail  I  thou  dearest  tie 

We  mortals  here  below  can  claim, 

To  blend  our  else  unhappy  lives  with  joy ; 

My  breast  inspire, 

With  thy  true  genuine  fire, 

While  to  thy  sacred  name, 

I  strike  the  golden  lyre. 
Clothed  in  pure  empyrean  light, 
For  vulgar  eyes  thou  shin'st  too  bright : 

For  while  they  gaze, 

Thy  dazzling  rays 
Dim  their  too  feeble  light 
But  souls  uncloyed  with  sensual  toys, 
Souls  who  seek  true  mental  joys, 
May,  phoenix-like,  sublimely  soar, 
May  all  thy  heavenly  charms  explore, 
And  wanton  in  the  glorious  blaze. 

O,  G*** !  if  now  no  charming  maid 
Waits  thy  pencil's  powerful  aid, 
That  when  her  charms  shall  fade  away, 
And  her  pleasing  form  decay — 
That  when  her  eyes  no  more  shall  roll, 
Or  heaving  sighs  betray  fier  soul— 

Still  by  thy  art, 

The  stubborn  heart 
To  melt,  and  into  love  betray — 
O2  21 


162  LECTURES  ON 

Attend !  I  sing  that  power  divine, 
Whose  heavenly  influence  sways  such  souls  as  thine ; 
Souls  by  virtue  made  the  same, 
Friendship's  powerful  ties  may  claim ; 

And  happy  they, 

Without  allay, 
Blest  in  the  generous  name. 

Dr.  Franklin,  whose  literary  and  scientifick  character  we  have 
mentioned  elsewhere,  would  have  no  small  claim  to  the  reputation 
of  a  poet,  had  not  his  fame  as  a  philosopher,  politician,  and  prose 
writer,  thrown,  as  it  were,  into  the  shade,  his  occasional  offering  to 
the  muses.  If  there  is  no  rhapsody  in  his  inspirations,  there  is  a 
sweet  and  beautiful  flow  of  good  sense  and  delicacy  of  feeling.  His 
love  of  Addison  is  discovered  in  his  poetry  as  well  as  in  his  prose. 
The  deep  solemnity  of  Addison  was  not  in  the  nature  and  disposi- 
tion of  Franklin ;  nor  had  the  latter  a  tithe  of  the  classical  informa- 
tion of  the  former;  but  a  deeper  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and 
of  the  business  of  life,  certainly  belonged  to  Franklin.  In  the  maze 
of  skepticism,  Franklin  lost,  or  never  cherished,  that  solemn  cast 
of  thought  which  one  so  truly  pious  as  Addison  always  has,  and 
constantly  infuses  into  all  he  says  or  writes. 

Benjamin  Pratt  was  a  scholar  who  was  never  fostered  into  no- 
tice, or  fed  by  the  flattery  of  the  popular  voice.  He  made  his  way 
by  energy  of  mind  and  firmness  of  purpose.  He  was  graduated  at 
Harvard,  in  1737.  He  was  a  first  rate  lawyer,  and  most  admirable 
logician.  His  poetry,  written  while  he  was  engaged  in  full  practice, 
shows  that  he  had  a  fine  taste  for  this  elegant  accomplishment;  for 
hi  his  compositions  are  united  depth  of  reasoning,  force  of  illus- 
tration, and  command  of  language,  with  rich  imaginings.  He  died 
Chief  Justice  of  New  York,  much  admired  for  the  powers  of  his 
understanding,  and  the  extent  of  his  information.  His  communion 
with  the  muses  was  by  stealth ;  another  proof  of  the  sacrifice  even  a 
great  man  is  under  the  necessity  of  making  to  public  sentiment. 
The  poetry  on  which  his  fame,  as  a  writer  of  verse,  is  built,  was 
found  among  his  papers  after  his  death,  and  few  ever  knew  that  he 
made  these  private  devotions  to  the  art.  His  poems  on  several 
subjects,  are  full  of  point  and  elegance,  and  have  received  the  com- 
mendations of  several  judicious  criticks. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  103 


LECTURE  X. 


And  none  are  more  exquisitely  awake 

To  nature's  loveliness,  than  those  who  feel 

The  inspiration  of  the  muse — who  take 

Prom  her  the  glowing  thoughts,  that,  as  they  steal 

Around  the  soul  entranced,  a  goddess  make 

Of  nature,  to  whose  shrine  of  beauty  kneel, 

The  fond  enthusiast,  adoring  all 

Within  her,  we  may  dread,  or  lovely  calL 

NACH. 

THE  events  preceding  and  during  the  revolution,  called  out  all  the 
poetical  talent  of  our  country.  I  mean  those  talents  which  consist 
in  catching  at  circumstances  as  they  arise,  and  turning  them  to  ad- 
vantage. Songs,  epitaphs  by  anticipation,  and  satire  in  every  form, 
came  flying  all  abroad,  to  cut  up  the  tory,  and  warm  up  the  patriot 
Every  nation,  civilized  or  barbarous,  has  used  song  as  an  instru- 
ment of  exciting  a  love  of  country,  and  urging  the  most  popular 
motives  for  repelling  a  foe,  and  securing  that  fame  which  belongs 
to  the  brave.  Many  of  these  minor  American  poets  have  been 
swept  into  obscurity  by  time  ;  and  it  is,  perhaps,  too  late  to  rescue 
their  names  from  oblivion ;  but  there  are  others  of  a  higher  order, 
whose  names  will  be  preserved  by  the  historian  of  our  literature,  as 
having  filled  their  space  in  the  revolution.  Among  others,  Francis 
Hopkinson,  who  was  born  in  1738,  was  in  the  full  maturity  of  his 
intellectual  powers  when  the  revolution  began,  and  he  brought  all 
of  them  in  aid  of  the  great  cause.  He  was  a  member  of  congress 
from  New-Jersey  in  1776,  and  signed  that  memorable  instrument, 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  He  was,  afterwards,  a  judge  of 
admiralty  in  Pennsylvania.  Hopkinson  was  born  for  a  satirist,  and 
nature  had  left  the  most  unequivocal  marks  of  her  intention  in  his 
physiognomy.  The  quick,  twinkling  eye,  the  small  animated  fea- 
tures, the  thin  lips  and  sharp  nose,  answered  the  rules  of  Lavater, 
for  one  "  who  sees  quickly,  and  combines  rapidly,  and  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  produce  novel  and  pleasing1  effects."  His  "  Battle 
of  the  Kegs"  was  much  admired  for  its  wit ;  and  even  Sir  William 
Howe,  who  was  ridiculed  in  it,  was  said  to  have  laughed  heartily 
when  it  was  read  to  him.  Long  after  the  revolutionary  conflict 


164  LECTURES  ON 

was  over,  he  brought  his  talent  to  bear  occasionally  upon  the  ab- 
surdities which  are,  and  always  will  be,  found  in  every  society. 
Sometimes  he  turned  it  upon  the  follies  of  a  city  corporation,  and 
sometimes  upon  the  press  itself;  and  so  just,  so  keen,  so  powerful, 
was  his  satire  upon  the  press,  which  was  then  indulging  in  extreme 
licentiousness,  that,  it  is  said,  there  was  not  for  months  after  the 
publication  of  some  of  his  satires,  a  scandalous  article  to  be  found 
in  the  columns  of  the  newspapers  of  the  day.  Juvenal  and  Pope 
could  not  boast  of  having  produced  such  an  effect,  with  all  their 
fame.  It  is  much  easier  to  "whip  a  rascal  naked  round  the 
world"  than  to  awe  the  conductors  of  the  press,  to  keep  within 
the  pale  of  decorum,  at  any  time.  Hopkinson's  poetical  effusions 
were,  after  his  death,  collected  and  published,  hi  three  volumes, 
8vo.  in  1792. 

Lemuel  Hopkins,  a  Connecticut  poet,  whose  name  and  writings, 
from  the  similarity  of  name,  are  often  confused  with  those  of  Fran- 
cis Hopkinson,  was  several  years  junior  to  his  brother  poet  of  Penn- 
sylvania. He  was  a  physician,  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his 
profession  in  1776.  He  was  distinguished  in  his  profession,  and 
equally  so  for  his  dress  and  manners.  He  wrote  several  occasional 
pieces,  which  were  much  admired,  and  projected  the  Anarchiad,  a 
work  which  was  probably  the  joint  production  of  some  of  the  best 
poets  of  the  day.  The  Anarchiad  exhibits  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  events,  a  deep  insight  into  the  moving  principles  of  the  policy  of 
the  statesmen  of  that  period,  and  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
the  powers,  caprices,  and  dispositions  of  the  leaders  in  every  party 
feud.  In  reading  this  work,  at  the  present  day,  we  admire  the  ge- 
nius of  the  writers,  although  many  of  the  points  are  lost,  from  our 
having  suffered  the  minute  history  of  the  times  when  it  was  written 
to  escape  from  our  memories,  if  they  were  ever  treasured  there. 

At  the  same  time,  when  the  afore-mentioned  poets,  Hopkinson 
and  Hopkins,  were  throwing  their  shafts  from  vigorous  bows,  and 
annoying  their  enemies — (perhaps,  earlier  than  either,)  Trumbull 
appeared — himself  a  host  in  this  warfare.  His  M'Fingal,  although 
modelled  on  Hudibras,  is,  in  many  things,  superiour  to  it.  The 
Tories  were  not  to  be  met  by  argument ;  for  they  had  many  argu- 
ments drawn  from  their  fears  of  the  success  of  the  American  arms, 
which  could  not  be  readily  answered ;  for  no  one  could  precisely 
foretell  the  issue  of  the  conflict.  They  were  to  be  conquered  by 
ridicule ;  no  other  power  could  reach  them.  Wit  alone  drove  them 
from  the  field ;  and  the  Tories  felt  a  greater  hatred  to  the  poet  who 
had  made  them  ridiculous,  than  to  the  soldier  who  destroyed  their 
ranks  by  hundreds.  This  poem  was  decried  in  England,  for  many 
years,  but  at  last  acknowledged  to  belong  to  the  first  order  of  sati- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  165 

rical  poems.  The  foreign  foe  did  not  claim  all  the  poet's  attention ; 
for  he  spared  some  of  his  leisure  hours  to  attack  a  domestick  foe — 
one  much  to  be  dreaded  in  every  age— ignorance.  "  The  Progress 
of  Outness,"  did  much  to  prevent  the  multiplication  of  those  cha- 
racters, sometimes  found  at  the  present  day,  in  whose  composition 
dulness  is  shielded  by  gravity  of  face,  and  ignorance  covered  by 
the  affectation  of  piety.  The  author  of  M'Fingal  is  still  living,  and 
could  now.  perhaps,  tell  us  what  share  the  different  authors  took  in 
the  Anarchiad.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  will  do  it.  Such  an  inti- 
mation would  gratify  the  curious,  and  injure  no  one.  His  co-adju- 
tors  in  this  work  are  gone,  and  the  parties  lashed  have  passed 
away ;  no  harm  could,  therefore,  come  from  such  a  disclosure. 

Humphreys,  although  he  wrote  less  than  many  others,  has  no 
small  claims  to  the  character  of  a  poet  His  were  mostly  hasty 
pieces  written  in  the  hurry  of  a  camp ;  but  constantly  abound  in 
energy  and  patriotism,  and  must  have  warmed  the  soldiers'  heart 
at  the  time.  Some  lines  are  truly  poetick,  and  will  hold  a  y  erma- 
nent  place  in  the  poetry  of  our  country.  It  has  certainly  been 
asserted,  and  never  denied,  that  he  was  one  of  the  writers  of  the 
Anarchiad,  and  this  is  enough  to  give  him  a  rank  among  "the 
tuneful  brotherhood."  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  his  muse,  accus- 
tomed to  camps,  closed  her  wings  and  turned  shepherdess :  but  on 
an  oaten  reed  she  could  not  play ;  the  trumpet  was  her  instrument. 
He  was,  at  all  times,  an  enthusiast  hi  the  glory  and  fame  of  his 
country,  and  poured  out  his  prophesies  profusely ;  and  of  him  it 
must  be  said  too,  that  he  laboured  to  fulfil  them. 

Alongside  of  Trumbull,  Humphreys,  and  Barlow,  walked  one  of 
a  graver  mien.  His  poetry  was  altogether  devoted  to  learning  and 
piety ;  and  every  song,  hymn,  or  occasional  verse,  is  full  of  pathos 
and  religious  dignity.  The  epick  on  which  he  rested  his  fame  was 
not  his  happiest  effort.  He  was  constituted  for  epick  grandeur,  but 
his  piety  led  him  to  seize  a  difficult  subject  for  the  trial  of  his  skill. 
There  was  no  novelty  in  the  vengeance  of  heaven  pouring  its  chas- 
tisements upon  a  wicked  nation.  Who  can  stand  before  Omnipo- 
tence !  Who  can  question  the  doings  of  Israel's  God !  Of  course 
there  was  no  display  of  machinery ;  nothing  which  shows  the  mas- 
ter-hand of  the  poet  in  the  invention  of  his  fable ;  for  here  was  no 
fable.  We  must  see  the  mortal  in  every  great  work,  to  be  struck 
with  admiration.  The  lofty  dome  of  St.  Peters,  the  work  of  man, 
fills  the  mind  of  the  beholder  with  more  wonder,  than  the  contem- 
plation of  this  self-poised  earth,  wheeling  its  course,  in  the  "void  im- 
mense." The  works  of  man  are  questioned,  examined,  and  criticised, 
and  often  remodelled  in  the  mind  of  the  examiner ;  and  his  admira- 
tion settles  at  last  on  the  great  skill  of  the  builder  of  an  epick,  or  a 


166  LECTURES  ON 

temple.  But  neither  philosophy  nor  religion  thinks  to  set  bounds 
to  the  power  of  God,  or  feels  more  wonder  at  one  exercise  of  it  than 
at  another. 

Dwight's  "Conquest  of  Canaan,"  notwithstanding  the  faults  inhe- 
rent in  the  subject,  has  not  yet  had  justice  done  to  it ;  and  one  reason 
for  this  delay  was  the  superiority  of  his  eloquence  to  his  poetry. 
No  ear  will  hear  that  again.  Mute  is  the  once  tuneful  tongue ;  but 
his  verse  will  be  more  read  than  it  has  been,  and  the  more  it  is  read, 
the  higher  will  be  his  fame  as  a  poet.  Although  his  creed  was 
tinged  with  the  severe  philosophy  of  the  great  Reformer,  yet  such 
was  the  glowing  benevolence  of  his  own  heart,  that  none  of  it  was 
seen  hi  his  intercourse  with  men.  He  was  happy  in  the  affections 
of  the  wise,  and  the  good,  in  the  rising  as  well  as  in  the  risen  gene- 
ration, and  happier  still  in  the  affections  of  his  family.  His  poetry 
and  his  eloquence  were  pure  streams  of  heart  and  mind,  refreshing 
to  all  they  reached,  both  young  and  old.  One  of  the  sweetest  mor- 
sels of  Dwight's  poetry  was  written  while  he  kept  an  academy  for 
young  ladies,  to  be  sung  at  an  examination,  previous  to  a  spring  va- 
cation of  his  seminary.  His  poem,  "  Greenfield  Hill,"  is  much  more 
often  read  and  quoted  than  the  "  Conquest  of  Canaan,"  and,  by  many, 
thought  to  be  a  superiour  composition. 

The  following  is  the  hymn  to  which  we  referred. 


HAIL  !  child  of  light !  returning  spring, 
Fair  image,  foretaste  sweet  of  Heaven, 
In  thee  our  hearts  thy  Maker  sing, 
By  whose  blest  bounty  thou  wast  given. 

From  thee,  the  wintry  glooms  retire, 
The  skies  their  purest  beams  display ; 
And  winds,  and  showers,  and  suns  conspire 
To  clothe  the  world  with  life  and  May. 

Hail !  knowledge,  hail,— the  moral  Spring 
That  wakes  the  verdure  of  the  mind ; 
To  man  thy  ways  indulgent  bring 
And  fragrant  flowers  and  fruits  refined. 

Thy  progress  with  the  morn  began, 
Before  thee  every  region  smiled; 
The  savage  brightened  into  man, 
And  gardens  blossomed  in  the  wild. 

All  hail !  fair  Virtue !  noblest  good ; 
The  bliss  and  beauty  of  the  skies, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  167 

By  whom  to  yonder  blest  abode 
The  humble  and  the  faithful  rise. 

While  here,  fair  Learning's  smiles  begin, 
And  Spring  leads  on  the  genial  year ; 
Prom  realms  of  life  and  peace  divine, 
Descend ;  and  bloom  and  flourish  here. 

And  O,  thou  fount  of  good  supreme, 
The  Sun  that  lights  eternal  spring, 
At  once  of  knowledge  source  and  theme ; 
Thee,  first  and  last,  our  voices  sing ! 

Virtue,  in  every  charm  arrayed, 
For  this  dark  world  thy  sufferings  won ; 
Those  charms  thy  matchless  life  displayed, 
When  here,  the  incarnate  splendour  shone. 

As  dews  refresh,  as  suns  revive, 
When  clear  and  cloudless  shines  the  day, 
Command  our  rising  race  to  live, 
And  win  them  from  the  world  away. 

Joel  Barlow  was  early  distinguished  for  talents  and  acquirements 
of  the  highest  order.  He  entered  the  American  army  as  a  chaplain, 
to  assist,  by  every  means  in  his  power,  the  great  cause  of  his  coun- 
try. A  chaplain  was  a  very  considerable  personage  in  the  army  at 
that  time,  and  did  much  to  animate  his  fellow-citizens  to  persevere 
hi  the  struggle.  Many  of  the  soldiers  of  the  American  army,  hi 
that  time,  were  men  of  capacity  and  virtue,  worthy  to  command 
men  in  any  good  cause,  and,  therefore,  could  more  justly  appreciate 
.  the  merits  of  such  men  as  Barlow.  On  leaving  the  army,  he  became 
a  scholar  by  profession ;  and  is,  perhaps,  the  only  man  in  the  history 
of  our  country,  who  ever  brought  his  learning  to  a  good  political 
market.  Poets  have  been  made  ambassadors,  and  peers,  and  secre- 
taries, in  other  countries ;  but  few  indeed  of  our  country  have  found 
emolument  or  office  by  their  reputation  for  learning.  It  will  not 
always  be  so.  It  has  been  said  by  Barlow's  reviewers,  that  his  style 
lost  something  of  its  purity  by  his  enthusiastick  attachment  to  the 
literature  of  France,  in  the  boisterous  times  of  her  revolution ;  when 
phrenzy  made  havock  of  taste  as  well  as  of  aristocracy.  If  this 
charge  was,  in  some  degree,  correct,  and  perhaps  it  cannot  be  fully 
denied,  it  did  not  reach  any  considerable  extent.  A  few  words  or 
phrases  may,  unquestionably,  be  found,  which  smack  of  that  period, 
but  not  many.  His  lines  are,  in  general,  vigorous,  yet  smooth,  and 
full  of  dignity  and  moral  grandeur.  His  prose  writing  had  fewer 


168  LECTURES  ON 

faults  of  style  than  his  poetry.  There  is  great  neatness  in  some 
articles  from  his  pen.  The  preface  to  the  Columbiad  is  an  admira- 
bly condensed,  historical  account  of  Columbus  and  his  discoveries. 
Its  perspicuity  and  beauty  of  language  make  it  a  model  for  succinct 
narratives  of  the  kind.  The  Columbiad  is,  at  present,  the  first  Ame- 
rican poem  extant.  There  may  be  defects  of  style  and  versification 
in  it ;  and  some  of  the  complaints  made  by  the  Abbe  Gregoire  may 
be  true,  "  that  Barlow  was  bigoted  against  superstition."  The  work 
was  first  published  at  the  close  of  the  American  war,  and  was  then 
called  The  Vision  of  Columbus.  It  was  dedicated  to  Louis  XVI., 
with  some  fine  remarks  upon  that  monarch's  virtues.  The  Vision 
was,  after  the  death  of  Louis,  expanded,  and  called  the  Columbiad. 
It  would  have  been  quite  as  well  for  Barlow's  fame,  if  this  had  never 
been  done.  The  Columbiad  is,  indeed,  a  great  poem ;  but  it  does 
not  contain  the  whole  light  of  Barlow's  mind,  which  was  too 
strongly  tinctured  with  politicks  to  be  kept  constantly  within  the 
strict  laws  of  measure,  or  on  the  classical  top  of  Pindus ;  for  he 
would  be  a  truant,  now  and  then,  from  the  sacred  groves,  to  sacri- 
fice to  the  goddess  of  liberty,  whether  she  appeared  as  a  celestial 
visitant  on  his  own  shores,  or  as  a  Parisian  Elegante,  flaunting  in 
meretricious  robes.  At  such  a  time,  Apollo  and  the  nine  would  call 
after  him  in  vain ;  and  their  promise  to  bless  his  offering  with  a 
double  portion  of  inspiration  were  equally  disregarded.  He  was 
above  envy.  Mark  how  sweetly  he  praises  his  rivals : 
t/:  ••• 

"  To  equal  fame  ascends  thy  tuneful  throng, 

The  boast  of  genius,  and  the  pride  of  song ; 

Warm'd  with  the  scenes  that  grace  their  various  clime, 

Their  lays  shall  triumph  o'er  the  lapse  of  time. 

With  keen-eyed  glance,  thro'  nature's  walks  to  pierce, 

With  all  the  powers  and  every  charm  of  verse, 

Each  science  opening  in  his  ample  mind, 

His  fancy  glowing  and  his  taste  refined, 

See  Trumbull  lead  the  train.     His  skilful  hand 

Hurls  the  keen  darts  of  satire  thro'  the  land. 

Pride,  knavery,  dulness,  feel  his  mortal  stings, 

And  listening  virtue  triumphs  while  he  sings. 

Proud  Albion's  sons,  victorious  now  no  more, 

In  guilt  retiring  from  the  wasted  shore, 

Strive  their  curst  cruelties  to  hide  in  vain ; 

The  world  shall  learn  them  from  his  deathless  strain." 


"On  glory's  wing  to  raise  the  ravish'd  soul, 
Beyond  the  bounds  of  earth's  benighted  pole, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  109 

For  daring  Dwigkt  the  epick  muae  sublime 
Hails  her  new  empire  in  the  western  clime. 
Fired  by  the  themes  by  seers  seraphick  sung, 
Heaven  in  his  eye,  and  rapture  on  his  tongue, 
His  voice  divine  revives  the  promised  land, 
The  heaven-taught  leader,  and  the  chosen  band. 
In  Hanniel's  fate  proud  faction  finds  her  doom ; 
Ai's  midnight  flames  light  nations  to  their  tomb ; 
In  visions  bright,  supernal  joys  are  given ; 
And  all  the  dread  futurities  of  Heaven." 

Another  of  that  class  of  poets  whose  works  were  of  great  utility 
in  the  revolution,  was  William  Livingston,  LL.  D.,  governor  of 
New-Jersey.  He  held  that  office  after  Governor  Franklin  was  de- 
posed and  sent  off  for  adhering  to  the  royal  cause.  Livingston  was 
a  scholar  and  a  wit.  He  was  of  the  Addisonian  school  in  style,  but 
evinced  in  his  writing  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  all  the  first 
authors  of  his  day.  He  was  a  satirist  of  the  keenest  lash,  and  quick- 
est hand,  and  never  spared  the  enemies  of  his  country.  His  prose 
writings  were  numerous  and  valuable ;  but  it  is  only  as  a  poet  we 
are  now  considering  his  claims  to  distinction.  He  published  a  poem 
called  "  Philosophical  Solitude ;"  which,  although  reposing  in  some 
few  large  libraries  unknown  to  most  persons,  is  full  of  thought  and 
point,  and  not  destitute  of  elegance.  This  work  is  destined  to  re- 
suscitation ;  and  when  the  long  neglected  works  of  our  country  shall 
take  their  proper  places,  the  productions  of  Livingston  will  be  found 
of  no  ordinary  grade. 

Philip  Freneau,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  some  time  of  New-Jersey, 
was  a  poet  of  the  revolution.  A  great  number  of  his  productions 
evince  taste  and  talent,  and  were  well  adapted  to  the  times.  Every 
old  continental  had  some  of  his  verses  at  his  tongue's  end ;  and 
often  animated  himself  and  his  companions  over  his  bowl,  when  he 
had  the  good  fortune  to  find  one  that  was  flowing.  Freneau  was 
not  confined  altogether  to  poetry  of  this  character.  He  wrote  some 
fine  patriotick  pieces  of  considerable  extent,  and  others  of  a  miscel- 
laneous nature.  Soon  after  the  war,  he  published  a  volume  of  his 
poems  on  coarse  paper  and  with  bad  type.  Since  that  time,  a  hand- 
some and  enlarged  edition  has  been  given  to  the  publick.  Freneau's 
pieces  are  very  unequal.  Some  of  them  were  probably  thrown  off 
in  haste,  and  others  polished  with  care.  The  "  Address  of  Colum- 
bus to  Ferdinand,"  is  a  very  happy  effort,  and  his  Indian  death-song 
has  been  much  admired.  The  latter  effort  we  will  give  entiiv. 

"  The  sun  sets  in  night ;  and  the  star*  shun  the  day ; 
But  glory  remains,  when  their  lights  fade  away. 
P  22 


170  LECTURES  ON 

Begin,  ye  tormentors ;  your  threats  are  in  vain  : 
For  the  son  of  Alknomock  can  never  complain. 

Remember  the  woods,  where  in  ambush  he  lay, 

And  the  scalps  which  he  bore  from  your  nation  away. 

Why  do  ye  delay? 'till  I  shrink  from  my  pain? 

Know,  the  son  of  Alknomock  can  never  complain. 

Remember  the  arrows  he  shot  from  his  bow : 
Remember  your  chiefs  by  his  hatchet  laid  low. 
The  flame  rises  high — You  exult  in  my  pain : 
But  the  son  of  Alknomock  will  never  complain. 

I  go  to  the  land,  where  my  father  is  gone 

His  ghost  shall  exult  hi  the  fame  of  his  son. 

Death  comes  like  a  friend — He  relieves  me  from  pain : 

And  thy  son,  O  Alknomock,  has  scorned  to  complain." 

Mrs.  Warren  is  well  known  to  the  present  generation  by  her 
history  of  the  American  Revolution  ;  but  perhaps  it  is  not  so  well 
known  that  she  was  distinguished  for  her  poetical  talents.  She 
was  of  patriot  blood,  and  an  inflexible  republican.  If  her  fame 
required  heraldrick  honours,  and  connexion  with  genius,  it  would 
be  sufficient  to  say  that  she,  was  sister  to  James  Otis,  the  great 
patriot  of  the  revolution.  This  lady  not  only  wrote  many  things 
in  prose  and  verse  for  the  encouragement  of  the  work  of  opposi- 
tion to  arbitrary  measures,  but  she  found  leisure  to  write  two  tra- 
gedies in  five  acts  each,  and  of  considerable  length.  The  first  was 
"The  Sack  of  Rome,"  and  the  other,  "The  Ladies  of  Castile." 
These  were  written  during  the  war,  and  published  before  the  close  of 
it,  as  early  as  1778.  These  productions  abound  in  heroick  sentiments, 
and  the  verse,  in  many  instances,  is  smooth  and  strong,  without  those 
extravagant  things  which  injure  many  of  the  modern  tragedies ; 
for  instance,  Bertram  and  Cain  ;  nor  is  it  pretended  that  they  have 
as  many  lofty  conceptions  and  felicitous  sentiments  as  the  modern 
productions  ;  but  they  are  very  clever,  all  things  considered,  and 
ought,  and  will  be  preserved,  in  the  annals  of  our  poetry.  These, 
with  other  poems,  were  collected  in  the  life  time  of  Mrs.  Warren, 
and  published  in  a  volume,  at  Boston.  This  lady  also  wrote  poli- 
tical speeches  for  some  of  the  members  of  the  Convention,  called 
for  adopting  the  Federal  Constitution,  in  1788 ;  and  the  speaker  was 
detected  hi  his  borrowed  plumage  by  the  elegance  of  the  style  of 
his  oration,  and  from  his  ignorance  of  some  of  her  classical  allu- 
sions. She  was  well  acquainted  with  all  the  great  men  of  her 
time,  and  corresponded  with  many  of  the  most  intelligent  of  them. 

' 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  171 

She  lived  to  see  the  country  prosperous  and  happy ;  and  died,  in  a 
good  old  age,  surrounded  by  several  generations  of  her  descen- 
dants. If  not  a  poetical,  certainly  an  enviable  exit. 

Thomas  Dawes,  jr.  was  a  native  of  Boston,  and  was  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1777,  soon  after  the  revolutionary  conflict 
began.  While  in  college,  he  devoted  some  of  his  leisure  hours  to 
poetry,  for  which  he  had  a  strong  propensity,  but  which  he  then 
felt  he  must  restrain,  if  not  sacrifice,  to  the  profession  for  which 
he  was  intended ;  not  that  he  thought  a  refined  taste  inimical  to 
the  study  of  the  law,  or  that  a  man  could  not  make  a  good  special 
pleader,  if  he  now  and  then  culled  a  flower  from  Parnassus ;  but 
the  world  was  then  in  a  hurry  of  industry,  and  thought  that  he 
could  not  be  a  business-man,  who  stopped  to  polish  a  period  or 
make  a  couplet.  He  was  in  full  practice  when  quite  young,  and 
had  powerful  patronage.  Early  in  life  he  was  made  a  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Judicial  Court,  and  having  resigned  this  office,  he 
was  appointed  Judge  of  Probate ;  to  the  duty  of  which  office  that 
of  Judge  of  the  Municipal  Court  was,  after  a  while,  added.  Once 
in  a  while,  through  life,  he  stole  an  hour  or  two  from  business  or 
sleep  to  make  an  occasional  ode  or  hymn ;  and  when  the  good  peo- 
ple of  Boston  were  attempting  to  commemorate  some  fact  in  the 
history  of  the  war,  on  their  monuments  on  Beacon  hill,  or  at  the 
stump  of  the  old  tree  of  Liberty,  he  was  regularly  called  upon  to 
aid  the  work  by  his  poetical  and  classical  taste ;  and  those  fine  inscrip- 
tions, which  were  often  read  and  admired,  were  from  his  pen.  This 
medal-style  of  writing,  requires  taste,  judgement,  and  imagination ; 
for  it  must  unite  in  the  shortest  possible  compass,  point,  fact,  dignity 
and  ease.  These  monuments  are  razed  to  the  ground :  they  fell 
before  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  speculation ;  but  the  inscriptions 
are  preserved  as  felicitous  touches  of  the  patriotism  and  taste  of 
that  period. 

The  singular  and  sudden  death  of  that  great  patriot,  James  Otis, 
who  had  lived,  for  years,  "  a  mighty  mind  o'erthrown,"  called  for 
the  poetick  talents  of  Judge  Dawes :  and  he  commemorated  the  vir- 
tues and  mental  energies  of  the  deceased  hi  an  ode,  worthy  of  the 
subject  and  of  the  writer.  A  few  lines  of  it  we  shall  extract,  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  the  author's  tact  and  discrimination. 

"Blest  with  a  native  strength  and  fire  of  thought, 
With  Greek  and  Roman  learning,  richly  fraught, 
Up  to  the  fountain  head  he  pushed  his  view, 
And  from  first  principles  his  maxims  drew. 
'Spite  of  the  times,  this  truth  he  blazed  abroad, 
The  people's  safety  is  the  law  of  God." 


172  LECTURES  ON 

The  last  effort  of  his  muse,  was  a  hymn  to  be  sung  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  a  church  in  Baltimore.  It  certainly  ranks  high  in  this 
order  of  compositions. 

Dr.  Josiah  Brown  Ladd,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  who 
died  on  the  second  of  November,  1786,  in  the  thirty-second  year  of 
his  age,  was  a  poet  of  the  first  class  in  our  country.  He  was  born 
at  Little  Campton,  in  Rhode  Island.  He  delivered  an  oration  on 
the  fourth  of  July,  1785,  which  is,  hi  part,  preserved  by  Niles,  in 
his  "  Principles  and  acts  of  the  Revolution."  It  is  a  work  of  taste 
and  imagination,  full  of  pathos  and  instruction.  In  the  American 
Museum,  published  in  Philadelphia,  in  1787,  there  are  to  be  found 
several  specimens  of  his  poetry,  which  are  truly  excellent.  His 
'*  Address  to  the  Sun,"  a  "  Runick  Ode,"  as  he  calls  it,  is  full  of  genius 
and  skill.  He  had  command  of  all  the  laws  of  rhythm,  and  sported 
with  his  muse  in  every  measure  of  verse.  He  passes  from  grave  to 
gay,  with  great  facility;  from  the  pun,  the  jest,  or  the  conundrum, 
to  the  solemn  appeal  of  Almasi,  the  wife  of  Almaz  Ali  Cawn,  to 
Warren  Hastings,  governor  general  of  India;  in  which  appeal, 
rage,  narrative,  vengeance,  and  power,  reign  in  turns,  with  intellec- 
tual light  and  vigour.  As  some  persons  may  not  have  paid  particu- 
lar attention  to  Dr.  Ladd's  poetry,  I  will  give  them  his  "  Ode  to  the 
Sun,"  not  as  his  best  production,  but  as  one  which  shows  how  much 
he  had,  not  only  of  the  inspiration  of  the  poet,  but  also  of  the  know- 
ledge and  practice  of  the  art  of  poetry. 

A  RDNICK  ODE, 
By  Dr.  Ladd. 

RADIANT  orb,  revolving  round, 
Where,  O  whither  art  thou  bound  ? 
Thou,  that  like  some  shining  shield, 
Blaring  o'er  the  bloody  field, 
Dost  on  high  majestick  move, 
Pouring  sunshine  all  above. 

Where,  O  whither  art  thou  bound, 
Rolling  now  in  glory  round  ? 
Red  and  fiery  round  thy  brow, 
Lo !  the  western  waters  glow ; 
And  behind,  across  the  vales, 
Ev'ry  length'ning  shadow  trails. 

Where,  O  whither  art  thou  bound, 
Deep  in  distant  surges  drowned  ? 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  173 

Evening  marches,  wrapt  in  clouds, 
And  each  prospect  gaily  shrouds ; 
While  on  yonder  sea-beat  shores, 
Blacker  night  in  silence  pours. 

Hark !  hear  the  rushing  blast, 
What  shrieks  it  mutters  round ! 
It  bellows  o'er  the  dreary  waste, 
And  death  is  in  the  sound. 

See,  see  what  horrid  forms, 
Like  thin  gray  mists,  appear ; 
They  ride  at  midnight  on  the  storms, 
With  horrour  in  the  rear. 

Hark !  hear  the  feeble  shriek, 

How  shrill  the  echoes  rise ! 

Ye  grim-gray  spirits  speak,  O,  speak — 

Why — why  those  dying  cries  1 

What — do  you  vanish  so  7 

Are  ye  already  gone  1 

Where,  grim-gray  shadows,  do  ye  go, 

To  pour  the  plaintive  moan  1 

Hushed  are  the  winds — in  their  dark  silent  house 
The  stormy  breezes  sleep : — save  one  soft  gale 
That  whistles  through  the  grass,  and  seems  to  say, 
Hence,  bard  of  sorrow— plaintive  poet,  hence  I 

I  go,  sweet  gale — on  yon  lone  echoing  shores, 
Where,  'midst  the  foam,  sharp-pointed  rocks  emerge, 
To  hear  the  stormy  cataract  that  roars, 
Tremendous !  answered  by  the  bellowing  surge. 

And  while  around  the  foamy  billow's  sweep, 
The  briny  wave  sheds  momentary  gleams, 
By  which  the  spirits  of  the  awful  deep, 
Shall  court  my  vision  with  horrifick  screams. 

Stay,  bard !  a  moment  stay ; 
For  see,  the  morning  ray 

Breaks  from  the  eastern  sky. 
Thus,  wand' ring  long  unseen, 

In  dim  obscurity ! 


Where,  O  whither  did'st  thou  stray, 
Radiant  orb,  that  giv'st  the  day. 


P2 


174  LECTURES  ON 

Long  did  we  thy  absence  mourn ; 
Long  we've  waited  thy  return ; 
Say,  refulgent  planet,  say, 
Where,  O  whither  did'st  thou  stray  ? 

Jonathan  Mitchell  Sewell,  a  poet  of  considerable  note,  was  a  law- 
yer, at  the  Rockingham  Bar,  in  the  state  of  New-Hampshire.  He 
was  a  man  of  genius ;  eloquent  and  rich  in  the  charms  of  varied 
and  happy  conversational  powers.  He  seldom  exercised  his  mind 
on  any  subject,  until  some  strong  inducement  was  offered  him; 
and  those  of  fame  were  more  powerful  with  him  than  those  of 
money.  He  spent  more  of  his  strength  upon  whims  and  vagaries, 
to  test  his  powers,  than  became  a  wise  man,  conscious  that  life  is 
short  and  science  long.  But  his  heart  was  right,  when  his  argu- 
ments were  extravagant ;  and  the  wildest  of  his  eccentricities  had 
the  stamp  of  genius  about  them.  His  songs  are  full  of  the  true 
spirit  of  poetry,  and  were  generally  produced  on  the  spur  of  the 
occasion.  He  was  delighted  with  Ossian,  and  paraphrased  him  in 
fine,  flowing  verse.  His  version  was  written  before  Linn's,  and  is 
more  extensive,  and,  on  the  whole,  better  than  that  of  the  distin- 
guished poet  of  Pennsylvania,  of  whom  we  shall  soon  have  occa- 
sion to  say  something.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  was  often  a 
prey  to  gloomy  feelings ;  and  his  sufferings  did  not,  like  Saul's,  find 
an  anodyne  in  the  muse  of  another,  and  seldom  a  transitory  gleam 
of  comfort  from  his  own.  By  seasons  of  melancholy,  the  mental 
fibre  may  become  more  attenuated  and  delicate;  but  generally 
loses  in  strength  more  than  it  gains  in  sensibility.  The  heart  must 
be  pierced  by  the  arrows  of  affliction,  to  enable  it  to  pour  out  the 
sweetest  strains  of  sympathy,  but  it  must  not  be  wounded  too  se- 
verely; its  pulses  must  beat  regularly  in  its  greatest  fulness,  to 
give  to  thought  its  length,  and  breadth,  and  depth,  and  to  fancy  her 
extended  wing  and  purest  fire.  It  is  not  philosophically  true,  be- 
yond a  certain  extent,  that,  in  the  agonies  of  the  heart,  "he  best 
can  paint  them  who  can  feel  them  most."  They  may  be  felt  too 
much  for  the  sufferer,  however  poetical  he  may  be,  to  describe 
them  minutely  and  accurately. 

John  Blair  Linn  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1777,  but  most  of 
his  early  life  was  passed  in  New  York,  until  he  became  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel.  He  possessed  the  true  elements  of  a  poet— strong 
affections,  quick  perceptions,  expanded  views,  with  an  unquencha- 
ble love  of  distinction.  He  felt  the  full  inspiration  of  genius,  but  at 
the  same  time  acknowledged  that,  without  industry,  it  was  as 
useless  as  the  scattered  leaves  of  the  Sybil.  He  opened  upon  the 
world,  after  he  left  college,  as  a  student  at  law,  a  poet,  a  stage 


If 

AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  175 

critick,  and  a  dramatick  writer.  The  great  dramatick  writers  were 
to  him,  as  they  are,  and  have  been,  to  many  men  of  high  and  cul- 
tivated minds,  the  master  spirits  of  the  literary  world.  To  be  en- 
rolled among  them  was  then  his  ambition.  There  were,  at  that 
time,  some  admirable  actors  in  the  United  States. 

Hodgkinson  and  his  company  were  then  hi  the  height  of  their 
fame.  Linn  was  enamoured  with  the  fascinations  of  the  stage,  and 
presented  them  with  a  play  called  Bourville  Castle,  which  was 
brought  out  in  New-York  with  considerable  success.  But,  in  the 
midst  of  his  popularity,  he  changed  his  views  of  the  moral  dignity 
of  the  course  he  was  pursuing,  and  determined  on  divinity  as  a 
profession;  and,  at  once  retiring  from  the  gay  and  fashionable 
world,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  conversation  of  the  poets  and  wits 
with  whom  he  had  associated,  he  began  his  new  pursuits  with  the 
warmest  visions  of  future  usefulness.  Divinity  is  a  noble  profession 
for  a  man  of  genius,  and  of  hallowed  feelings.  He  is  found  at  once 
in  the  company  of  saints  and  martyrs.  The  visions  of  glory  they 
saw,  he  sees  also.  He  converses  with  the  dead,  the  resurrection,  and 
the  life  to  come ;  and  is,  as  it  were,  admitted,  by  the  sanctity  of  his 
character,  to  a  familiarity  with  his  God.  When  hi  the  pulpit,  Linn's 
lips  were  touch'd  with  a  coal  of  fire  from  the  altar  of  the  most  High. 
When  he  dwelt  on  the  loveliness  of  Christianity,  and  the  hopes  of 
those  who  die  in  the  Lord,  age  bent  with  reverence  at  the  truths 
which  came  sweetened  by  his  eloquence,  and  beauty  breathed  new 
aspirations  for  immortality  at  his  pictures  of  the  happiness  of  the 
just  made  perfect.  In  the  height  of  his  fame,  and  in  the  midst  of 
his  usefulness,  he  forgot  not  the  muse  who  was  so  fond  of  inspiring 
the  moments  of  his  childhood.  He  wrote  a  poem  on  the  Death  of 
Washington,  and  another  on  the  Powers  of  Genius,  which  he  had 
commenced  some  time  before.  The  latter  had  a  high  reputation  in 
England,  and  a  splendid  edition  of  it  was  published  in  London. 
The  criticks  spoke  of  it  in  a  very  favourable  manner  ;  but  while  the 
whinings  of  every  baby  poet  of  England  have  gone  through  a  dozen 
editions  in  this  country,  "  The  Powers  of  Genius"  has  been  on  the 
shelf  these  twenty  years.  That  is  not,  however,  its  final  destiny. 
It  will  find  its  place  soon,  and  rank  high  in  the  annals  of  American 
poetry,  when  that  poetry  assumes  the  character  which  it  has  a  legi- 
timate right  to  take.  John  Blair  Linn  died  in  the  twenty-eighth 
year  of  his  age,  a  Doctor  of  Divinity,  beloved  by  the  friends  of  learn- 
ing and  piety,  and  honoured  by  the  tears  of  genius.  His  fame  is 
preserved  for  that  period  when  we  shall  take  an  interest  in  our  own 
talent,  by  the  pen  of  Charles  Brockden  Brown,  "  which  adorned 
every  thing  it  touched."  The  following  extract  is  from  the  "  Powers 
of  Genius ;"  but  the  work  must  be  read  as  a  whole  for  one  to  form 


176  LECTURES  ON 

a  correct  opinion  of  its  merits  as  a  composition.    In  this  extract  is 
a  happy  offering  of  one  genius  to  another. 

"While  nature  howls,  and  mirth's  gay  whispers  die, 
Her  eye  on  fire — her  soul  in  ecstacy ! 
See  bolder  Radcliffe  take  her  boundless  flight ! 
Clothed  in  the  robes  of  terror  and  of  night! 
O'er  wilds,  o'er  mountains,  her  high  course  extends, 
Thro"  darkened  woods,  and  thro'  banditti's  dens. 
At  length  she  lights  within  some  ruined  tower, 
While  from  the  turret  tolls  the  midnight  hour. 
A  thousand  phantoms  follow  at  her  call, 
And  groans  ascend  along  the  mouldering  wall. 
Dim  shadows  flutter  o'er  the  sleepy  vale ; 
And  ghostly  musick  comes  upon  the  gale ! 
A  light  appears !  some  hollow  voice  is  near ; 
Chill  terror  starts,  and  every  pulse  is  fear !" 

Like  other  poets  of  his  time,  Linn  was  delighted  with  Ossian. 
This  work  was  one  of  those  which  catch  the  fancy  of  the  day,  and 
then  pass  away.  It  was  a  tissue  of  silver  on  a  cloth  of  a  dark 
ground,  beautiful  and  dazzling,  but  which  loses  its  lustre  by  too 
much  exposure,  and  is  tarnished  by  the  very  breath  of  its  admirers. 
The  sound  and  wholesome  taste  which  had  been  formed  by  the 
poets  of  America,  by  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  best  English 
writers,  from  Shakspeare  down  to  Johnson,  Cowper,  Haley,  Beattie, 
and  others,  who  grew  up  after  the  age  of  Pope,  Arbuthnot,  and 
Young,  was  considerably  shaken  and  vitiated  by  the  sudden  influ- 
ence of  the  Delia  Cruscan  school.  These  honied  rhymes,  without 
energy  or  point,  came  upon  us  like  a  deluge.  They  were  so  easily  imi- 
tated, and  any  imitation  was  so  near  the  original  in  point  of  genius, 
that  a  spawn  of  these  namby-pamby  verses  came  from  the  poets' 
corner  of  every  newspaper,  in  such  profusion,  that  one  of  taste  might 
suppose  that  "  Bedlam  or  Parnassus  was  let  out."  The  French 
revolution  had  deranged  all  the  maxims  of  criticism  and  morals  as 
well  as  of  politicks,  and  jingle  and  nonsense  flowing  in  mellifluous 
currents  often  passed  for  true  inspiration.  Surrounded  and  influ- 
enced, more  or  less,  by  this  bad  taste,  our  poets  grew  up  from  1792 
to  1800.  In  looking  at  their  works,  at  this  moment,  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case  should  be  taken  into  consideration.  Every  poet 
or  orator,  in  every  age,  is  influenced  in  his  taste  by  the  opinions 
then  prevalent.  He  may  in  some  degree  be  affected  even  when  he 
struggles  to  oppose  it.  Paine,  Prentiss,  and  Lathrop,  set  their  faces 
against  every  thing  that  was  not  justified  by  the  canons  of  Pope; 
but,  at  the  same  time,  caught  something  of  the  rhapsodies  of  the  day. 

Robert  Treat  Paine  was,  for  ten  or  fifteen  years,  considered  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  177 

first  poet  of  the  United  States,  although  he  wrote  nothing  of  any 
considerable  length.  His  most  happy  effort,  the  song  of  "  Adams 
and  Liberty"  gave  its  author  (a  copy-right  being  secured  by  the 
friendly  and  provident  printer)  more  than  ten  dollars  a  line ;  a  rare 
instance  of  remuneration  for  literary  labours  in  this  country.  His 
"  Invention  of  Letters,"  was  a  poem  of  some  length,  and  was  much 
admired  for  its  reach  of  thought,  boldness  of  imagery,  and  smooth- 
ness of  versification.  It  has  lost  cast,  however,  among  the  produc- 
tions of  that  period,  but  is  still  admired  by  many,  and  pronounced 
as  holding  a  very  high  rank  at  the  present  time.  The  drama  called 
forth  his  talents,  and  the  ode  he  wrote  for  the  opening  of  the  Boston 
theatre,  after  it  was  burnt  and  rebuilt  in  1796,  ranks  with  Johnson's 
at  the  opening  of  the  Drury  Lane  theatre.  The  criticks  have  pre- 
tended that  Johnson  was  not  a  poet ;  but  whenever  the  finest  ge- 
niuses of  this  country  or  England  have  ventured  to  take  the  same 
path  in  literature,  the  giant  track  of  the  great  moralist  has  never 
been  effaced  by  a  more  Herculean  foot. 

Prentiss  (we  talk  of  those  poets  near  our  own  time  with  more 
familiarity,  their  history  being  known  to  all)  was  a  wit  who  wrote 
with  great  ease  and  neatness.  He  was  without  bustle,  splendour, 
pomp,  pride,  or  circumstance,  in  his  literary  labours.  He  manu- 
factured occasional  odes,  songs,  and  satires,  as  the  business  of  the 
day,  and  never  thought  of  them  again  for  profit  or  fame.  He  was 
not  so  capable  of  lofty  flights  as  Paine,  but  he  was  more  accurate  in 
his  figures,  and  more  easy  in  his  versification.  With  proper  induce- 
ments, he  was  capable  of  more  continued  efforts,  and  more  regular 
and  certain  results.  His  knowledge  was  more  extensive  and  classi- 
cal than  Paine's ;  but  he  could  not  make  such  an  array  of  it  as  his 
rival  could,  when  excited  by  the  corruscations  of  other  minds. 
Paine,  in  a  flood  of  mental  light,  when  song  and  wit  went  round, 
was  the  object  of  attraction,  however  numerous  were  those  who  con- 
tended for  victory. 

John  Lathrop  was  contemporary  with  Paine  and  Prentiss  in 
college ;  and  like  them,  he  studied  law,  became  a  writer  in  the 
publick,  and,  then,  an  editor  of  a  newspaper.  He  was  a  man 
of  considerable  talent  and  taste,  and  a  pure,  sensible  writer,  in 
prose  and  verse.  His  poetry  was  not  so  lofty  as  Paine's,  nor  so 
witty  as  Prentiss' ;  but  was  more  regular,  equal,  and.  classical  than 
either.  He  was  a  more  regular  scholar,  better  acquainted  with 
rules  than  his  rivals ;  and,  probably,  most  of  his  productions  are 
destined  to  more  enduring  prais.e  than  theirs.  His  life  was  an 
eventful  one.  Ten  years,  or  more,  of  it  were  spent  in  the  East 
Indies,  where  he  experienced  much,  and  learned  nothing  but  how 
to  advise  others.  He  often  complained  rather  of  himself  than  of 
23 


178  LECTURES  ON 

his  acquaintances.  Tossed  from  law  to  a  clerkship ;  from  that  to 
literary  fagging ;  from  that  to  instructing  of  youths,  and  from  this 
employment  to  a  clerkship  again,  and  from  that  to  his  grave ;  he 
knew  no  rest,  from  the  commencement  to  the  close  of  his  career. 
He  was  first  known  as  a  writer  when  the  publick  taste  was  vitiated ; 
and  bombast  and  inflation  passed  for  energy  and  genius.  But  he 
stemmed  the  current  manfully,  and  was  not,  like  many  others, 
carried  down  by  it.  His  early  and  his  latter  pieces  have  a  freedom 
from  singularity  and  affectation,  which  show  the  clearness  of  his 
conceptions  and  the  delicacy  of  his  feelings  and  taste.  Among  the 
best  of  his  productions,  is  the  "  Vision  of  Canonicus,"  the  sachem 
of  the  Narraganset  Indians.  This  is  the  first  production  of  that 
school  of  poetry,  which  has  since  been  so  prolifick  in  lovers  of  the 
Aboriginals.  The  Indians  of  our  country,  up  to  his  time,  had  not 
met  with  much  sympathy,  or  had  many  songs  of  praise  or  justice 
lavished  on  them.  If  they  were  mentioned  by  the  poets  of  "  olden 
time,"  it  was, 

"  Heard  ye  yon  arrow  hurtle  through  the  air  7 

"  Or  saw  ye  the  tomahawk  or  scalping  knife,  ready  to  destroy  old  age 
and  infancy  ?  Or  does  not  the  war-cry  stiffen  your  soul  with  horror?" 
These  were  the  usual  introductions  of  works  on  the  Indians.  The 
few  good  things  honest  Roger  Williams,  or  Elliot,  their  apostle,  had 
ventured  to  whisper  in  their  praise,  had  been  forgotten  in  the  suc- 
ceeding ages  of  blood  and  massacre.  The  day  of  retribution  has, 
however,  come ;  and  some  of  our  poets  are  making  these  sons  of 
the  forest  the  heroes  of  epics  and  the  knights  of  song.  It  is  no 
small  praise  to  be  called  the  pioneer  in  this  course  of  magnanimity 
and  justice. 

Soon  after  the  time  of  Prentiss,  Paine,  and  Lathrop,  William 
Boyd,  who  died  very  young,  was  coming  forward  with  great  pro- 
mise, as  a  poet.  Several  of  his  productions,  as  an  under  graduate, 
have  been  published,  and  have  been  thought  by  good  judges,  to  be 
very  clever.  His  poem  on  woman  has  many  beauties  in  it ;  and, 
considering  his  youth,  at  the  time  he  wrote,  may  be  placed  high  on 
the  list  of  the  works  which  have  given  celebrity  to  some  of  his 
compeers.  The  subject  is  treated  by  him  with  considerable  no- 
velty, and  without  one  particle  of  improper  freedom ;  for  he  wrote 
at  a  time  when  every  one  was  not  so  cautious.  Boyd  was  a  man 
of  genius,  delicate  and  refined  in  his  feelings,  and  suffered  from 
having  more  taste  than  was  then  marketable,  and  more  sensibility 
than  could  be  understood  by  the  common  members  of  society.  The 
most  delicate  and  susceptible  are  the  most  readily  misunderstood. 
Their  effusions  are  poured  out  on  all  around  them,  and  are  too  often 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  179 

chilled  by  the  atmosphere  they  meet.  They  admire  and  love  by 
too  strong  impulses,  and  act  too  often  without  regard  to  conse- 
quences, or  never  think  of  contingencies.  They  are  formed  to  be 
delighted,  and,  perhaps,  enamoured  with  the  gay,  the  sentimental 
and  intelligent,  who  lavish  on  them  their  smiles;  and  these  sus- 
ceptible beings  are  ready  to  defend  those  they  love  at  every  risk. 
They  think,  at  least,  that  they  have  made  as  strong  an  impression 
on  others,  as  others  have  on  them ;  and  calculate  what  others  would 
do  for  them,  by  feeling  what  they  would  do  for  others.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  such  a  mind  is  anxious  every  hour  for  fear  he  may 
offend  some  of  his  friends,  and  spends  many  a  sleepless  night  in 
dwelling  upon  some  look  of  his  friend,  not  so  kind  as  he  could 
expect  or  wish,  and  runs  his  imagination  into  all  possible  causes 
for  his  supposed  alteration,  when  none  exists,  nor  even  a  thought 
of  change  has  entered  the  mind  of  him,  so  strangely  altered  in  the 
view  of  the  sentimentalist.  At  one  hour  the  mind  of  so  delicate  a 
man  is  tortured  by  thinking  that  he  has  done  something  to  diminish 
his  reputation  for  genius ;  at  another,  that  his  friend  may  be 
surfeited,  and  that  were  worse  than  death.  This  lady  did  not 
look  so  kindly  as  she  was  wont  to  do,  and  he  had  lost  ground 
in  her  good  graces,  or  some  such  matter.  So  the  too  sensitive  man 
is  tossed  from  one  wretchedness  to  another,  until  he  sinks  into  mise- 
ry or  misanthropy— and  falls,  perhaps,  into  a  decline,  that  ends  his 
days  and  evils  together.  Many  have  fallen  victims  to  such  a  mor- 
bid state ;  and  have  not  had  a  mourner  for  their  death,  nor  hardly 
a  follower  to  the  grave,  from  out  of  the  very  circle  for  which  it 
may  be  said  that  they  died.  Could  the  victim  of  sensibility  live 
over  the  shock  of  his  early  heartaches,  and  look  deeply  into  the 
world,  he  would  find  no  excuse  for  wasting  his  sympathies  on 
those  who  had  them ;  for,  on  a  reverse  of  fortune,  he  would  dis- 
cover that  he  had  made  a  false  estimate,  in  many  instances,  of 
those  with  whom  he  had  been  associated.  Vanity  sometimes  comes 
in  as  an  antidote,  to  assist  the  sufferer,  but  pride  is  a  much  better 
support.  Boyd  had  more  genius  than  he  had  credit  for ;  more  sen- 
sibility than  pride ;  and  felt  more  of  the  agonies  of  love  than  of  the 
cordials  of  admiration ;  and  his  delicate  constitution  sunk  under 
them  in  early  life. 

Another  of  these  early  victims  to  the  consumption,  from  whom 
much  was  expected  by  the  literary  part  of  the  community,  was 
William  Clifton.  He  was  well  known  in  Philadelphia,  in  which 
city  he  was  bom,  in  1772,  and  where  he  died,  in  1799,  in  the  twenty- 
seventh  year  of  his  age.  His  parents  were  of  the  society  of  Friends, 
but  it  was  never  known  that  he  was,  after  he  arrived  to  manhood, 
particularly  partial  to  the  tenets  of  the  sect.  In  some  things  he 


180  LECTURES  ON 

must  have  differed  widely  from  them,  as  he  was  an  advocate  for 
war,  or  at  least  a  war  spirit  is  strongly  breathed  in  some  of  his  oc- 
casional odes  and  songs  of  patriotick  cast.  His  father  was  a  man  of 
fortune,  and  as  his  constitution  was  delicate,  he  never  entered  much 
into  the  details  of  business,  nor  had  occasion  for  the  emoluments  of 
it.  Clifton  was  just  coming  to  manhood  when  the  French  revolu- 
tion burst  out.  He  was  distinctly  on  the  side  of  legitimacy,  and 
suffered  his  feelings  to  get  deeply  engaged  in  the  affairs  of  the 
world  at  that  time.  Every  thing  that  had  the  hoar  of  antiquity  upon 
it,  was  likely  to  be  swept  away  without  distinction ;  not  only  titles, 
but  habits,  laws,  and  manners  were  changed.  The  methods  of 
thinking  and  writing  suffered  the  greatest  changes ;  and  he  saw,  like 
Fisher  Ames,  and  other  amiable  men,  nothing  but  darkness  and 
evil.  At  this  time  Gifford's  BAVIAD  AND  M^EVIAD  came  from  the 
press,  and  made  a  great  impression  upon  the  literary  world.  It  was 
a  good  piece  of  satire,  of  old  fashioned  stuff,  of  the  school  of  Pope. 
It  was  reprinted  in  this  country,  and  Clifton  wrote  a  poetical  epistle 
to  the  author,  after  the  practice  of  former  days,  which  was  prefixed 
to  it  This  work  gave  Clifton  a  high  stand  among  our  poets,  and 
the  praise  bestowed  on  Gifford  was  so  unequivocal,  that  the  crusty 
translator  of  Juvenal  was  thought  to  have  viewed  the  epistle  of  his 
young  admirer  with  some  complacency.  The  address  deplored 
the  situation  of  letters  in  our  own  country,  in  terms  sufficiently  dis- 
tinct and  unpretending  to  suit  even  Gifford,  who  could  hear  of  no- 
thing but  what  was  within  the  sound  of  Bow  bells. 

" beneath  our  shifting  skies 

Where  fancy  sickens,  and  where  genius  dies ; 
Where  few  and  feeble  are  the  muse's  strains, 
And  no  fine  fancy  riots  in  the  veins ; 
There  still  are  found  a  FEW  to  whom  belong 
The  fire  of  virtue  and  the  sovl  of  song." 

It  was  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  our  poets  should  have  decried 
our  taste  for  poetry  or  the  fine  arts ;  for  all  was  then  bustle  and  po- 
liticks, or  calculations  and  commerce ;  all  the  ambitious  were  stri- 
ving to  be  statesmen ;  and  no  other  path  to  fame  was  open.  The 
learned  professions  had  not  then  taken  the  stand  they  now  have ; 
they  were  in  the  second  and  third  classes  in  society.  The  merchant 
and  statesman  were  very  far  before  them ;  and  literary  men  by  pro 
fession  were  unknown  to  us.  From  every  line  of  Clifton  it  is  easily 
seen,  that  he  was  sensitive  on  this  as  on  other  subjects ;  and  as  he 
was  above  any  apprehension  for  a  support,  he  lashed  about  him  in 
the  most  fearless  manner.  That  he  had  genius,  no  one  who  has 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  181 

read  his  works  will  deny.  His  poetry  was  formed  in  the  school  of 
Dryden  and  Pope,  and  long  study  in  the  mastery  of  language,  and 
in  maturing  his  thoughts,  would,  if  his  life  had  been  spared,  unques- 
tionably have  made  him  a  poet  worthy  of  being  ranked  with  them ; 
if  not  on  an  equality,  (for  this  is  to  be  obtained  by  a  few  only,)  he 
certainly  would  have  been  a  distinguished  follower  of  these  great 
English  bards.  In  patriotick  songs,  in  which  most  poets  have  failed, 
there  being  but  few  good  compositions  in  national  songs  to  be  found 
in  any  language,  he  had  considerable  tact,  as  the  following  will 
prove: 

"Soul  of  Columbia,  quenchless  spirit  come! 
Unroll  thy  standard  to  the  sullen  sky: 
Bind  on  thy  war-robes,  beat  the  furious  drum ; 
Rouse,  rouse  thy  lion  heart,  and  fire  thy  eagle  eye  I 
Dost  thou  not  hear  the  hum  of  gath'ring  war ; 
Dost  thou  not  know 
The  insidious  foe 
Yokes  her  gaunt  wolves,  and  mounts  her  midnight  car ! 

Dost  thou  not  hear  thy  tortur'd  seamen's  criea  ? 
Poor  hapless  souls  in  dreary  dungeons  laid ; 
Towards  thee  they  turn  their  dim  imploring  eyes ; 
Alas !  they  sink— and  no  kind  hand  to  aid. 

Thou  dost,  and  every  son  of  thine 

Shall  rest  in  guilty  peace  no  more, 

With  noble  rage,  they  pant  to  join 

The  conflict's  heat,  the  battle  roar.^ 
Loose  to  the  tempest  let  thy  banner  fly, 
Rouse,  rouse  thy  lion  heart,  and  fire  thy  eagle  eye  V 

If  this  is  not  the  best  of  poetry,  it  is  high  spirited  sentiment  for  a 
quaker.  He  saw,  at  that  time,  what  he  considered  a  crouching 
tameness  in  the  people  of  the  United  States,  to  the  mighty  and  ter- 
rifick  power  of  France ;  but  he  mistook  party  hesitation  for  national 
imbecility,  and  seemed  to  forget  that  three  thousand  miles  of  water 
rolled  between  us  and  the  legions  of  the  Republick,  who,  in  frenzy, 
were  sweeping  along  through  Germany,  and  covering  the  valleys 
and  hills  of  Italy.  There  were  men,  and  intelligent  and  amiable 
men  too,  whose  dreams  were  nightly  disturbed  by  images  of  French 
armies  ravaging  our  country,  and  immolating  every  opposer,  from 
infancy  to  old  age.  It  was  literally  the  reign  of  terror  among  many 
of  our  reflecting  part  of  the  community.  In  such  a  state  of  things 
the  arts  were  forgotten,  and  poetry  could  only  breathe  imprecations. 
Q  87 


182  LECTURES  ON 

Contemporary  with  Paine,  Lathrop,  and  Prentiss,  were  several 
writers  of  poetry  of  considerable  note,  and  in  the  estimation  of 
some  persons,  if  they  were  not  so  much  known,  were  fully  equal  to 
those  who  occupied  the  front  rank  in  publick  estimation.  Joseph 
Allen  of  Worcester,  was  a  class-mate  with  Paine,  and  delivered  a 
poem  at  the  Commencement  in  which  he  was  graduated,  that  was 
highly  spoken  of. 

Isaac  Story  was  about  the  age  of  Allen.  He  wrote  a  considera- 
ble number  of  occasional  poems,  under  the  signature  of  Peter 
Quince,  which  were  well  received.  They  were  written  in  imitation 
of  Peter  Pindar ;  but  Story  had  more  delicacy,  if  not  so  much  wit, 
as  his  original.  These  pieces  were  collected  into  a  volume,  and 
have  sufficient  merit  to  place  him  among  our  poets  of  this  age. 
He  died  young,  and  at  a  moment  when  he  was  fast  rising  into 
fame.  His  death  was  deeply  lamented  by  the  publick ;  and  with 
the  literati  and  professional  men  of  the  day,  he  was  a  great  favourite. 

Paul  Allen,  lately  deceased,  devoted  most  of  his  days  to  literary 
pursuits,  and  has  in  his  course  been  a  great  contributor  to  the 
stock  of  American  literature,  and  a  refiner  of  our  taste  in  good 
writing.  For  more  than  twenty  years,  he  has  been  pouring  out 
prose  and  verse  for  the  benefit  of  the  publick  in  great  honesty,  pu- 
rity, and  good  taste.  Many  of  our  periodicals  have  been  enriched 
with  articles  from  his  pen.  Several  of  these  journals  he  established, 
or  was  editor  of,  for  sometime.  He  wrote  boldly,  but  naturally,  and 
did  much  by  example  and  precept  towards  breaking  down  that 
sesquipedalian  style  that  had  become  so  prevalent  in  this  country, 
by  attempts  to  imitate  Johnson's  Rambler,  and  other  works  from 
his  pen.  Such  men  as  Paul  Allen  deserve  a  memoir  of  no  inconsi- 
derable length,  written  by  some  friend  of  taste  and  talents.  The 
changes  in  our  literary  taste  and  habits,  during  the  time  he  was 
engaged  as  an  author,  would  make  a  subject  of  deep  interest,  ac- 
companied by  the  incidents  in  the  life  of  an  amiable  man  and  an 
elegant  writer. 

Seleck  Osborn  is  a  name  known  to  all  our  readers  of  poetry ;  it 
was  found  for  many  years  going  the  rounds  in  the  poets'  corner  of 
every  newspaper,  from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other,  and  was 
not  unfrequently  attached  to  morsels  of  exquisite  taste.  He  was  na- 
turally an  amiable  man,  but  his  temper  became  a  little  soured  by 
political  contests ;  a  political  arena  is  a  miserable  place  for  a 
man  of  delicate  or  refined  feelings ;— he  grows  acrimonious  upon 
repeated  irritations ;  and  all  this  injures  the  temper  of  his  muse. 
The  muse  can  follow,  and  has  been  found  inspiring,  the  half-starved 
Wretch  in  his  garret ;  yea,  has  accompanied  him  to  a  dungeon  and 
BOftened  the  weight  of  his  chains.  She  has  gone  with  the  hero  to 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  183 

the  battle-field,  and  led  side  by  side  with  honour  and  glory,  has 
waded  with  him  through  scenes  of  blood  and  death,  and  inspired 
the  song  of  victory.  She  has  even  sometimes  looked  in  a  court 
of  justice,  and,  without  being  chilled  to  death  among  judges 
and  lawyers ;— but  never  could  she  abide  politicks,  in  the  nature  of 
party  feuds.  In  patriotick  songs  she  has  often  had  a  magical  in- 
fluence, but  her  magick  is  all  lost  the  moment  she  mingles  in 
party  strife.  Osborn  discovered  this,  and  in  the  selections  he  made 
from  his  works  for  a  volume,  which  he  printed  a  few  years  since, 
he  left  out  all  those  poems  that  had  the  slightest  party  bearing  in 
them.  This  volume  was  printed  at  Boston,  and  contained  some 
very  fine  poetry ;  but  there  never  was  a  poet,  who  did  not  suffer 
by  having  his  fugitive  productions  brought  together  in  a  volume. 
They  wafted  more  reputation  as  they  flew,  than  they  will  praise 
when  caught  up  and  bound  together.  It  is  not  the  fault  of  the  poet  5 
it  is  in  the  minds  of  men ;  who  would  not  rather  sit  down,  and  read 
Sir  Richard  Blackmore's  Creation,  through  and  through,  than  to  be 
confined  to  an  equal  number  of  pages  in  a  Hymn  Book,  hi  which 
there  is  generally  some  good  poetry,  and  much  devotion.  This 
volume  of  Osborn's,  is  among  the  best  of  our  collections  of  this 
kind,  and  is  printed  in  such  a  form  as  to  ensure  its  preservation  in 
our  libraries. 

Captain  Spence,  a  gentleman  whose  manners,  acquirements,  and 
disposition,  made  him  the  charm  of  every  circle,  was  a  poet  of  a  fine 
natural  taste.  While  a  midshipman  and  a  junior  lieutenant  in  the 
navy,  he  amused  himself  in  writing  poetry  of  a  sentimental  cast, 
which  bore  marks  of  a  powerful  intellect.  The  sea  has  not  been, 
as  one  might  suppose  it  would  be,  a  very  fine  scene  to  inspire 
the  votaries  of  song.  Even  Falconer  wrote  the  Shipwreck,  not  on 
shipboard,  but  from  recollections  of  the  dangers  of  the  sea,  while 
he  was  safe  on  land.  Captain  Spense  indulged  himself  but  little 
in  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  writing  verses,  but  he  was  well  read 
in  English  poetry,  which  makes  up  no  small  part  of  all  that  is 
valuable  in  our  language.  The  prose  productions  of  the  age  of 
Elizabeth,  are  scarcely  ever  read,  while  Kit  Marlowe,  Ben  Jonson, 
and  Shakspeare,  are  in  the  mouths  of  every  one.  The  work,  said 
to  be  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Spence,  and  I  believe  it  was  never  denied 
by  him,  was  called  Edwin  the  Wanderer. 

John  G.  C.  Brainard,  who  has  lately  deceased,  was  a  poet  of  su- 
periour  talents.  The  publick  thought  well  of  him,  but  did  not 
know  him  sufficiently  to  give  him  full  credit  for  the  high  powers 
of  his  understanding  or  the  virtues  of  his  heart.  He  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1815; 
read  law,  and  in  regular  time  opened  his  office  ;  but  felt  too 


184  LECTURES  ON 

strongly  the  workings  of  his  genius  to  attend  to  clients  if  they 
called,  and  too  proud  to  seek  them,  if  they  did  not ;  and,  as  is  often 
the  case  with  such  gifted  men,  hurried  himself  into  an  editorship. 
The  Connecticut  Mirror,  for  several  years  bore  marks  of  his  genius 
and  varied  learning.  His  temperament  was  poetical,  restless,  and 
inclined  to  melancholy ;  but  he  so  often  disguised  this,  by  occa- 
sional exuberance  of  spirits,  so  common  to  minds  "attuned  to 
strange  fancies,"  that  it  was  not  generally  known  that  he  ever  in- 
dulged in  gloomy  thoughts.  In  his  hours  of  attick  flow,  he  was  a 
most  excellent  companion,  both  entertaining  and  instructive,  but 
even  in  these  hours  of  freedom  and  pleasure,  he  never  offended 
decency  or  morals,  but  poured  out  his  soul  in  a  stream  of  pure  feel- 
ing and  delicacy.  In  a  youthful  mind  struggling  with  difficulties, 
there  is  often  found  confusion,  skepticism,  and  every  tumult  and 
doubt  respecting  this  and  another  world  ;— at  one  moment  he  sees 
a  fiend  on  the  blast,  with  a  vial  of  wrath,  ready  to  pour  it  out  on 
every  mortal  head,  particularly  his  own ;  at  another  moment,  the 
clouds  burst  away,  and  the  joyous  rays  of  hope  come  on  the  sun- 
beams to  illumine  and  beautify  every  thing ;  again  the  evil  spirits  and 
the  good  spirits  commingle,  and  his  bosom  is  torn  with  conflicting 
emotions.  Such  are  the  wayward  feelings  of  youthful  genius. 
Time,  severe  occupation,  philosophy  with  her  deep  streams  of  wis- 
dom, and  religion  with  her  holy  influences,  are  all  necessary  to 
calm,  to  direct,  and  to  keep  him  in  the  way  of  usefulness  and  ho- 
nour. He  did  not  live  long  enough  to  erect  such  a  reputation  as 
he  had  talents  for.  His  poetry  seemed  to  breathe  a  presentiment 
that  this  world  was  not  to  be  his,  for  any  considerable  length  of 
time ;  nor  was  it.  He  died  on  the  20th  of  September,  1828,  in  the 
thirty-third  year  of  his  age.  His  effusions  were  printed  in  a  vo- 
lume before  his  death,  and  it  is  left  for  us  to  conjecture  what  he 
might  have  done  had  he  lived,  from  what  he  had  accomplished 
before  his  death  ;  and  who  is  prepared  to  say  that  this  would  not 
have  been  much  ? 

There  is  one  little  anonymous  fragment  of  American  poetry  ex- 
tant, which  I  will  ask  permission  to  insert  for  its  truth  and  loveli- 
ness. It  is  a  proposed  addition  to  that  exquisite  Elegy  in  a  Country 
Churchyard,  by  Gray.  The  author  thought  that  Gray  had  not 
given  the  subjects  of  his  muse  enough  of  a  religious  character  to 
make  the  charm  complete,  and  offered  the  following  amendment, 
although  any  amendment  may  be  inadmissible,  yet  what  was  offered 
should  be  preserved.  The  author  suggested,  that  it  should  follow 
the  stanza  beginning, 

"  Far  from  the  maddening  crowd's  ignoble  strife." 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  185 

Would  it  mar  the  beauty  of  the  ode  if  it  were  added?  You  must 
judge. 

No  airy  dreams  their  simple  fancies  fired, 
No  thirst  for  wealth,  nor  panting  after  fame ; 
But  truth  divine,  sublimer  hopes  inspired, 
And  urged  them  onward  to  a  nobler  aim. 

From  every  cottage,  with  the  day  arose 
The  hallowed  voice  of  spirit-breathing  prayer ; 
And  artless  anthems,  at  the  peaceful  close, 
Like  holy  incense,  charmed  the  evening  air. 

Though  they,  each  tome  of  human  lore  unknown, 
The  brilliant  path  of  science  never  trod, 
The  sacred  volume  claimed  their  hearts  alone, 
Which  taught  the  way  to  glory  and  to  God. 

Here  they  from  Truth's  eternal  fountain  drew 
The  pure  and  gladdening  waters  day  by  day ; 
Learnt,  since  our  days  are  evil,  fleet,  and  few, 
To  walk  in  wisdom's  bright  and  peaceful  way. 

In  yon  lone  pile,  o'er  which  hath  sternly  pass'd 

The  heavy  hand  of  all-destroying  Time, 

Through  whose  low  mouldering  aisles  now  sighs  the  blast, 

And  round  whose  altars  grass  and  ivy  climb ; 

They  gladly  thronged  their  grateful  hymns  to  raise, 
Oft  as  the  calm  and  holy  sabbath  shone ; 
The  mingled  tribute  of  their  prayers  and  praise, 
In  sweet  communion  rose  before  the  throne. 

Here,  from  those  honoured  lips,  which  sacred  fire 
From  heaven's  high  chancery  hath  touched,  they  hear 
Truths  which  their  zeal  inflame,  their  hopes  inspire, 
Give  wings  to  faith,  and  check  affliction's  tear ! 

When  life  flowed  by,  and  like  an  angel,  Death 
Came  to  release  them  to  the  world  on  high, 
Praise  trembled  still  on  each  expiring  breath, 
And  holy  triumph  beamed  from  every  eye. 

Then  gentle  hands  their  "  dust  to  dust"  consign ; 
With  quiet  tears,  the  simple  rites  are  said ; 
And  here  they  sleep,  till  at  the  trump  divine, 
The  earth  and  ocean  render  up  their  dead. 
Q2  23 


198  LECTURES  ON 

It  was  fashionable  in  the  latter  days  of  Darwin,  and  in  the  early 
days  of  Southey,  to  speak  lightly  of  the  productions  of  Pope.  The 
criticks  found  that  he  had  sometimes  indulged  his  resentments  in 
the  Dunciad,  and  doomed  several  characters  to  infamy  who  de- 
served a  better  fate.  The  small  fry  of  authors  who  wished  to  hide 
their  feebleness  in  the  extravagancies  of  sentiment  then  becoming 
popular  by  the  influence  of  the  French  Revolution,  and  the  influx 
of  German  literature,  which  had  not  been  well  examined,  nor  the 
chaff  separated  from  the  wheat,  supported  by  a  lew  men  of  genius, 
who  had  taken  up  some  erroneous  impressions  on  the  canons  of 
poetry,  did,  for  a  while,  obscure  the  fame  of  Pope ;  and  it  seemed, 
for  a  season,  that  he  would  at  length  be  found  in  his  own  Dunciad. 
They  attacked  him  as  a  writer  wanting  in  variety  and  genius,  and 
boldly  called  his  morals  in  question.  The  clouds  which  obscured 
his  brightness  did  not  last  long,  but  were  soon  dispersed,  and  his 
genius  beamed  in  its  ancient  majesty.  Byron  would  yield  to  no 
one  in  his  reverence  of  Pope  :  and  almost  all  the  present  poets  of 
England,  who  are  the  arbiters  of  taste,  have  come  into  the  opinion 
that  Pope  was  a  genius  and  a  poet,  such  as  it  is  seldom  the  good  for- 
tune of  nations  to  produce. 

This  may  be  said  to  be  an  age  of  poetry.  There  are  many  living 
writers  whose  works  have  secured  them  wealth  and  fame,  while 
they  were  able  to  enjoy  it.  Southey's  muse  has  brought  forth  epicks 
as  common  songs ;  and  Scott,  before  he  commenced  the  Waverly 
novels,  produced  Marmipn,  the  Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel,  Rokeby, 
the  Lady  of  the  Lake,  and  the  Vision  of  Don. Roderick,  with  other 
pieces,  in  quick  succession.  Byron  from  his  boyhood  never  laid 
aside  his  pen  until  the  wrongs  of  Greece  seized  his  heart.  Childe 
Harold,  the  Corsair,  the  Gaiour,  the  Bride  of  Abydos,  Cain,  and 
Don  Juan,  followed  each  other  as  rapidly  as  the  French  legions 
which  crossed  the  Alps  with  Napoleon.  Montgomery,  Coleridge, 
Crabbe,  and  Moore,  have  been  busy.  The  polished  Campbell,  and 
the  Shakspearian  Baillie,  have  not  been  idle. 

The  poets  of  our  own  country  have  had  these  fine  models  before 
them ;  and  they  have  shown  the  world  that  they  have  profited  by 
being  in  such  a  school.  There  is  at  present  much  talent,  ambition, 
and  information  among  our  poets,  and  they  are  getting  rid  of  the 
ridiculous  impressions  which  have  long  been  prevalent,  that  genius 
is  every  thing,  and  information  nothing,  in  making  a  poet.  The 
prophets  of  old  had  to  build  the  altar,  and  lay  on  it  the  wood,  before 
they  called  the  fire  from  heaven  to  kindle  the  flame  and  burn  the 
offering. 

My  intention,  at  first,  was  to  have  mentioned  many  of  our  living 
poets ;  two  only  have  I  named,  Freneau  and  Trunibull,  and  these 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  187 

patriotick  bards  are  so  near,  in  the  course  of  nature,  to  the  confines 
of  a  better  world,  that  I  felt  no  reluctance  to  speak  of  them ;  but  on 
mature  reflection,  I  gave  up  the  thought  of  bringing  forward  any 
more,  fearing  that  it  would  be  premature  to  discuss  their  merits  in  a 
work  like  this,  as  a  fair  criticism  on  these  would  be  in  a  measure 
making  comparisons  between  them.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying, 
that  we  abound  in  good  poets,  whose  writings  will  remain  to  make 
up  the  literature  of  a  future  age ;  nor  would  I  yield  my  admiration 
for  their  productions  to  others  who  are  prodigal  of  praise  whenever 
their  works  appear ;  but  at  this  time  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  whe- 
ther Pierpont  or  Bryant  be  the  greater  poet,  or  whether  Percival 
has  higher  claims  to  immortality  than  his  brethren  of  the  "  enchanted 
grounds  and  holy  dreams  ;"  nor  whether  she  of  "  the  banks  of  the 
Connecticut,"  whose  strains  of  poetick  thought  are  as  pure  and 
lovely  as  the  adjacent  wave  touched  by  the  sanctity  of  a  Sabbath's 
morn,  be  equal  to  her  tuneful  sisters,  Hemans  and  Landor,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  water,  or  superiour  to  her  more  sprightly  rivals 
on  this. 

When  all  classes  were  busy  in  building  up  our  national  and  state 
governments,  the  fine  arts  were  neglected ;  and  a  few  only  knew 
how  necessary  the  cultivation  of  them  was  to  refine  and  polish  a 
nation.  Even  in  England,  until  within  half  a  century,  any  devotion 
to  them  was  considered  inconsistent  with  weighty  duties.  Wind- 
ham,  Talbot,  Murray,  and  Pulteney,  "  every  muse  gave  o'er,"  before 
they  entered  the  temple  of  justice,  and  assumed  the  causes  of  their 
clients ;  and  Blackstone  dropt  a  tear  at  parting  with  his  muse  at  the 
vestibule  of  Westminster  Hall.  Parsons,  of  our  own  country,  as 
great  a  name  as  either,  who  thought  that  he  was  made  more  de- 
cidedly for  a  poet  than  for  any  other  calling,  confined  himself  to 
writing  a  few  occasional  pieces,  generally  on  some  merry-making 
occurrence,  not  venturing  to  trust  himself  further ;  while  he  read 
with  avidity  every  line  that  was  published  on  this,  or  the  other  side 
of  the  Atlantick,  in  English,  French,  Italian,  or  Latin.  It  is  not  so 
now;  it  is  thought  quite  possible  to  devote  a  few  hours  of  relaxation 
from  severe  studies  to  the  fine  arts,  without  any  fear  of  being  se- 
duced from  graver  duties.  Opinions  and  taste  are  changed  in  many 
other  respects.  The  good  household  dames  of  other  days  would 
have  turned  shuddering  from  the  sight  of  Cupids,  and  Venuses,  and 
Graces,  which  the  maiden  of  the  present  day,  pure  as  the  stainless 
snow,  will  sit  before  whole  hours,  engaged  in  her  innocent  drawing 
lessons.  The  mind,  properly  disciplined,  is  capable  of  sustaining 
much ;  as  the  body  in  full  health  can  support  heat  and  cold.  There 
are  no  sickly  images  while  there  is  a  sane  mind  in  a  sane  body. 
Numerous  instances  of  the  facility  of  passing  from  severe  labour  to 


188  LECTURES  ON 

sportiveness,  are  now  at  hand.  Sir  Walter  Scott  wrote  all  his  poetry, 
and  many  of  his  novels,  in  hours  of  relaxation  from  the  dull  details 
of  a  clerkship  in  a  court  of  justice.  Sir  William  Jones  left  Hafiz, 
and  all  the  enchantments  of  Arabian  poetry,  to  throw  new  light 
upon  the  black  letter  of  the  law,  and  to  give  a  reason  for  a  principle 
in  Coke  upon  Littleton,  when  the  two  great  luminaries  of  the  science 
had  only  stated  a  decision.  Some  of  the  great  dignitaries  of  the 
church  have  awakened  their  zeal  by  invoking  the  muse ;  and  the 
great  statesman  of  England,  who  has  lately  become  a  tenant  of  the 
tomb,  found  his  poetry  as  effective  as  his  eloquence  in  scattering  and 
subduing  his  opposers,  and  in  building  up  his  systems,  and  supporting 
his  policy.  The  poetry  of  the  Anti-Jacobin  did  more  than  a  thou- 
sand homilies  to  defend  the  cause  of  old  fashioned  honesty;  and  "the 
Loves  of  the  Triangles,"  checked  the  false  politicks  and  the  bad  taste 
of  the  Danvinian  school.  Like  the  eagle,  Canning  passed  from 
watching  the  fish-hawks  along  the  coast,  to  soaring  and  poising 
sublimely  in  the  heavens,  and  to  gazing  with  undazzled  eye  upon 
the  sun. 

We  have,  by  the  mistake  or  modesty  of  our  own  writers,  been 
ranked  among  those  nations  which  have  lately  become  litera- 
ry. But  avoiding  all  further  deception  on  that  head,  it  is  to  be  ho- 
ped that  we  have  now  arrived  at  that  point  in  our  literary  histo- 
ry, when  it  is  proper  for  us  to  assume  some  share  of  independence. 
Not  only  our  mother  country  is  pouring  in  her  literature  by  the 
bale  upon  us,  as  usual,  but  other  countries  are  also  doing  the  same. 
The  whole  European  continent  is  open  to  our  researches,  and 
yields  her  literary  and  scientifick  treasures  to  our  enterprise ;  and 
our  missionaries,  in  conjunction  with  those  of  other  countries,  are 
throwing  open  the  door  to  the  immense  storehouses  of  oriental 
learning,  where  the  treasures  of  unnumbered  ages  have  been  lodg- 
ed. Even  a  key  to  the  mysteries  of  Egyptian  wisdom  has  been 
found,  and  the  veil  of  Isis  is  about  to  be  removed.  At  the  same  time, 
all  things  have  become  well  settled  upon  true  principles  among 
us,  and  the  agitation  and  bustle  of  their  establishment  having  passed 
away,  some  of  the  first  minds  will  gratify  their  ambition  by  literary 
distinction ;  and  claim  their  country's  gratitude,  by  refining  our 
taste,  and  raising  our  standard  of  literary  eminence. 

Here  nature  presents  her  beauties  in  as  delicate  forms,  and  her 
wonders  in  as  bold  relief,  as  she  has  in  the  birth  place  of  the  muses. 
She  has  laid  the  foundation  of  her  mountains  as  broad,  and  raised 
their  tops  as  high  as  in  the  old  world.  What  are  the  Tibers  and 
Scamanders,  measured  by  the  Missouri  and  the  Amazon  ?  Or  what 
the  loveliness  of  Illyssus  or  Avon,  by  the  Connecticut  or  the  Poto- 
mack?  The  waters  of  these  American  rivers  are  as  pure  and 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  189 

sweet,  and  their  names  would  be  as  poetical,  were  they  as  familiar 
to  us  in  song,  as  the  others,  which  have  been  immortalized  for  ages. 
Whenever  a  nation  wills  it,  prodigies  are  born.  Admiration  and 
patronage  create  myriads  who  struggle  for  the  mastery,  and  for  the 
olympick  crown.  Encourage  the  game,  and  the  victors  will  come. 
In  the  smiles  of  publick  favour,  poets  will  arise,  yea,  have  already 
arisen,  whose  rays  of  mental  fire  will  burn  out  the  foul  stain  upon 
our  reputation,  given  at  first  by  irritated  and  neglected  genius,  and 
continued  by  envy  and  malice — that  this  is  the  land 

"  Where  fancy  sickens,  and  where  genius  dies." 


LECTURE   XL 


"  The  sciences  which  do  honour  to  the  human  mind — the  arts  which  em- 
bellish human  life,  and  transmit  illustrious  actions  to  posterity — should  be  pe- 
culiarly respected  in  all  free  governments.  All  men  of  genius,  all  who  have 
obtained  a  distinguished  rank  in  the  republick  of  letters,  wherever  they  were 
born,  are  of  my  country. 

"  I  invite  the  learned  to  assemble,  and  to  propose  to  me  their  views,  their 
names,  or  the  assistance  they  may  want,  to  give  new  life  and  existence  to  the 
sciences  and  fine  arts.  My  people  set  a  greater  value  on  the  acquisition  of  a 
learned  mathematician,  a  painter  of  reputation,  or  any  distinguished  man, 
whatever  may  be  his  profession,  than  in  the  possession  of  the  richest  and 
most  abundant  city." — Buonaparte's  letter  to  the  astronomer  Oriani. 

THE  fine  arts  can  only  flourish  in  the  bosom  of  refinement.  They 
are  the  latest  offsprings  of  the  muse.  Poetry  is  her  first  born,  and 
painting  and  statuary  the  youngest  of  her  children ;  and  there  has 
generally  been  a  long  interval  between  the  births  of  the  sisters. 
Poetry  may  live  in  sylvan  scenes,  and  with  a  primitive  people ;  but 
the  arts  must  be  cherished  by  wealth  and  taste,  and  grow  in  the 
sunshine  of  patronage.  A  poet  may  chant  his  verses  for  his  own 
pleasure,  in  his  own  circle ;  but  the  painter  and  sculptor  must  be 
stimulated  by  the  gaze  and  admiration  of  intelligence  and  fashion. 
Poets  may  make  the  solitudes  vocal  with  inspired  numbers,  to  charm 
some  woodland  nymph;  but  no  one  ever  patiently  laid  his  colours 


190  LECTURES  ON 

on  the  canvass,  or  spent  long  painful  years  in  chiselling  the  mar- 
ble, without  looking  forward  to  the  hour  when  his  labours  would 
be  rewarded  by  a  wreath  of  fame,  or  a  shower  of  gold. 

From  the  nature  of  the  moral  and  physical  growth  of  this  coun- 
try, it  could  not  be  expected  that  we  should  be  distinguished  in 
the  fine  arts,  particularly  in  the  early  ages  of  our  history  ;  not  that 
our  fathers  were  wanting  in  taste  for  the  fine  arts,  but  that  their 
situation  forbade  them  from  indulging  a  thought  for  any  thing  beyond 
what  was  absolutely  necessary  for  a  comfortable  existence.  They 
brought  some  pictures  with  them,  but  in  general,  they  were  nothing 
more  than  armorial  bearings  and  family  portraits ;  and,  in  truth,  at 
that  period,  in  England  there  was  not  much  attention  paid  to  paint- 
ing, statuary,  architecture,  or  music.  Wren  had  not  then  arisen, 
nor  had  there  been  a  splendid  edifice  erected  since  the  gothick  ages 
had  passed  away ;  ages  in  which  the  solemn  piles  of  religious  enthu- 
siasm arose,  and  with  them  the  massy  walls  of  the  feudal  castle. 
The  religion  of  England  was  changed ;  the  mode  of  warfare  was 
changed ;  the  monastery  was  not  occupied,  and  the  moat,  the  draw- 
bridge, and  portecullis,  were  no  longer  useful  for  defence ;  and  the 
Grecian  orders,  in  which  reside  ease,  repose,  grace,  and  beauty,  had 
not  then  found  their  way  to  England ;  it  could  not,  therefore,  be 
expected  that  the  -fine  arts,  in  any  of  their  best  forms,  could  easily 
have  found  their  way  to  America,  when  they  were  not,  at  that  time, 
cherished  in  the  mother  country.  Now  and  then  an  Italian  painter, 
or  one  of  the  Flemish  school,  would  stray  across  the  Atlantick,  and 
leave  some  traces  of  his  art  here,  which  have  afterwards  excited 
our  curiosity,  to  know  from  whose  hand  they  came. 

The  first  artist  of  distinction  I  can  find  any  record  of  among  us, 
was  Smybert,  a  painter  who  came  out  to  this  country  with  Dean 
Berkley,  in  1728.  He  was  at  first  attached  to  the  family  of  the  good 
man,  and  there  is  now  a  painting  in  Yale  College,  from  his  pencil. 
It  is  a  picture  of  the  Dean's  family.  Smybert  was  a  man  of  genius, 
whose  talents  had  attracted  the  attention  of  this  generous  ecclesias- 
tick,  and  he  wished  to  serve  him  after  he  had  discovered  his  merits. 
Smybert  was  almost  a  self-taught  artist,  having  commenced  in  life 
as  an  ornamental  chair,  clock,  or  house  painter,  one  grade  only 
above  the  mechanical  part  of  painting ;  but  feeling  the  inspiration 
of  a  higher  ambition,  and  a  capacity  for  better  things,  he  visited 
Italy,  and  returned  with  much  of  that  knowledge  which  genius 
catches  by  being  in  the  atmosphere  of  taste  and  enthusiasm  for  the 
arts.  On  the  Dean's  leaving  this  country,  Smybert  settled  in  Bos- 
ton, and  commenced  in  his  profession  with  what  was  then  thought 
a  good  patronage,  and  took  quite  a  respectable  rank  in  society  as 
a  citizen.  Many  of  his  portraits  are  in  being  now,  and  some  of 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  191 

them  are  very  good  likenesses,  and  quite  respectable  paintings. 
The  poet  Green,  who,  from  his  taste,  talents,  wealth,  and  wit,  stood 
among  the  first  in  the  society  of  Boston,  at  that  time,  speaks  of 
Smybert  with  affection  and  respect,  as  a  citizen  and  artist.  Smy- 
bert'shead  of  the  Cardinal  Bentivolio,  and  of  Dr.  Mayhew,  are  among 
the  first  of  fine  portraits. 

Copley  followed  Smybert  in  Boston,  and  must  have  been  distin- 
guished about  the  time  Smybert  died.  From  the  best  information 
I  can  procure.  Copley  was  his  pupil  for  several  years.  He  painted 
many  portraits  in  this  country;  probably  more  than  any  man  except  y\ 
Gilbert  Stuart.  Full  lengths  were  then  the  fashion  ;  and  many  of  ' 
them,  from  Copley's  pencil,  are  now  to  be  found  in  Massachusetts. 
His  likenesses  were  faithful ;  but  it  was  in  his  colouring  and  dra-  ji\ 
pery  that  he  excelled  any  other  man  of  modern  times.  Copley  •* 
was  highly  respected  for  his  gentlemanly  manners,  as  well  as 
for  his  professional  eminence;  and  during  the  first  years  of  that 
agitation  which  preceded  the  revolutionary  conflict,  was  often  in- 
strumental in  allaying  political  excitements,  which  procured  from 
his  neighbours  the  appellation  of  peace  maker ;  but  the  times  soon 
grew  too  boisterous  for  an  artist,  and  he  departed  for  England  some 
years  before  the  battle  of  Lexington.  In  England  he  had  opportu- 
nities of  displaying  his  powers  as  an  historical  painter.  The  num- 
ber of  his  pictures  is  considerable.  We  will  mention  a  few  of  his 
most  celebrated  works ;  but  we  do  not  profess  to  be  sufficiently  ac- 
quainted with  them,  to  venture  any  criticisms.  It  would  not,  how- 
ever, be  too  much  to  say,  that  they  were  universally  admired  by 
those  who  have  had  the  pleasure  of  examining  them. 

1.  The  Tribute  Money. — "  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  that  are 
Caesar's,  &c." 

2.  Samuel  and  Eli. — "  The  Lord  called  unto  Samuel." 

.-*3.  Charles  demanding  of  Parliament  the  Surrender  of  the 
Members. 

4.  The  Nativity  of  our  Saviour. 

5.  Surrender  of  Admiral  De  Winter  to  Lord  Duncan. 
*  6.  Sortie  from  Gibraltar. 

7.  Death  of  Chatham. 
•?  8.  A  Youth  rescued  from  a  Shark. 
9.  Death  of  Major  Pierson. 

10.  Abraham  offering  up  Isaac. 

11.  Hagar  and  Ishmael. 

He  was  prosperous  in  his  day  and  generation ;  his  son,  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst,  is  now  High  Chancellor  of  England,  and  his  other  children 
eligibly  situated  in  life.  He  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  as  accepta- 
ble to  the  people  of  England,  as  he  had  been  in  his  native  country 


192  LECTURES  ON 

Haley,  in  his  poetical  epistles  on  the  painters,  after  naming  West 
and  his  works  as  he  should  be  named,  pays  this  fine  and  highly 
deserved  compliment  on  Copley  : 

"  With  kindred  power,  a  rival  hand  succeeds, 
For  whose  just  fame,  expiring  Chatham  pleads ; 
Like  Chatham's  language,  luminous  and  bold, 
Thy  colours,  Copley,  the  dread  scene  unfold, 
When  that  prime  spirit,  by  whose  guidance  hurl'd, 
Britain's  avenging  thunder  aw'd  the  world  ; 
In  patriot  cares,  employ'd  his  parting  breath, 
Struck  in  his  field  of  civic  fame  by  death ; 
And  freedom,  happy  in  the  tribute  paid 
By  art  and  genius  to  so  dear  a  shade, 
Shall  own,  the  measure  of  this  praise  to  fill, 
The  awful  subject  equalled  by  thy  skill." 

It  is  difficult  to  speak  of  our  countryman,  Sir  Benjamin  West, 
for  his  talents  were  only  discovered  in  this  country,  but  cherished 
in  England.  There,  for  more  than  half  a  century,  he  was  a  favourite 
of  the  British  nation,  and  was  patronized  by  its  king.  He  was 
admired  for  the  amenity  of  his  manners  and  the  purity  of  his  life,  as 
well  as  for  his  excellence  in  his  profession.  He  was  true  to  his  patrons, 
but  he  never  forgot  his  country,  and  was  the  instructor,  friend, 
and  father  of  the  young  Americans  who  flocked  to  see  him,  and  get 
advice  and  direction  from  him.  Perhaps  we  take  too  much  credit 
for  West  as  our  countryman ;  for,  most  certainly,  the  country  that 
adopts,  supports,  and  honours  aTrTan7Tias"a~Better  claim  to  him  than 
that  which  gave  him"  birth,  and  but  Tittle  more.  He  was  equally 
fne  favourite  of  kings  and  poets,  and  both  bound  his  brow  with 
their  appropriate  wreaths.  Like  Michael  Angelo,  he  lived  long 
to  be  the  friend  and  patron  of  the  enterprising  young  artists  of  his 
own  and  other  countries,  and  he  was  affectionate  and  brotherly  to 
the  very  last  hours  of  his  life.  The  tribute  paid  him  in  the  "  Epis- 
tle on  the  Painters,"  is  not  only  correct,  but  in  good  taste. 

"  Supremely  skill'd  the  varied  group  to  place, 
And  range  the  crowded  scene  with  every  grace ; 
To  finish  parts,  yet  not  impair  the  whole, 
But  on  the  impassion' d  action  fix  the  soul ; 
Through  wondering  throngs  the  patriot  chief  to  guide, 
The  shame  of  Carthage,  as  of  Rome  the  pride ; 
Or  while  the  bleeding  victor  yields  his  breath, 
Gives  the  bright  lesson  of  heroick  death. 
Such  are  thy  merits,  West,  by  virtue's  hand, 
Built  on  the  human  heart,  thy  praise  shall  stand, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  193 

While  dear  to  glory  in  her  guardian  fane, 
The  names  of  Regulus  and  Wolfe  remain." 

.U'f      _•    '     .1     '  \ 

The  patriarch  painter  descended  full  of  honours  to  the  grave, 
leaving  a  reputation  of  which  both  the  country  of  his  birth  and  of 
his  adoption  were  proud.  His  biography  has  been  written  with 
taste  and  interest  by  Gait,  and  sketches  of  him  are  numerous. 

During  the  revolutionary  war,  the  fine  arts  in  this  country  were 
merged  in  arms,  and  nothing  was  thought  of,  but  matters  of  suste- 
nance and  defence.  The  few  who  had  come  to  a  resolution  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  fine  arts,  and  make  them  a  profession,  had 
escaped  from  the  scenes  of  blood  and  strife,  and  were  seeking 
repose  and  instruction  in  other  countries. 

Soon  after  the  peace  of  1783,  Johnson,  who  had  been  a  brave 
officer  of  our  army,  took  up  the  pencil  as  a  profession,  and  made 
his  head  quarters  at  Boston.  Johnson  was  a  man  of  a  powerful 
mind,  and  had  a  correct  eye  and  a  steady  hand,  but'was,  from  the 
nature  of  his  education  deficient  in  drawing,  the  great  defect  of 
self-taught  artists.  The  science  of  drawing  was  more  rare  with 
our  artists  formerly,  than  the  faculty  of  colouring  well ;  Johnson 
has,  however,  left  many  portraits  which  are  strong  likenesses,  and 
are  more  valuable  to  the  present  generation  than  fine  paintings, 
would  be,  if  they  were  but  indifferent  likenesses  of  our  fathers. 

Hancock,  a  miniature  painter,  was  contemporary  with  Johnson, 
and  took  some  fine  miniatures  of  the  people  of  that  age.  Had  his 
colours  been  less  evanescent,  his  fame  would  have  been  more  dif- 
fused and  permanent.  He  was  at  times  very  happy  in  catching  a 
good  resemblance  in  the  size  of  half  an  inch  in  diameter ;  some 
of  these,  set  in  finger  rings,  have  been  preserved,  and  give  him  a 
claim  to  be  remembered  among  the  artists  of  his  day. 

Among  the  most  distinguished  of  American  painters  was  Gilbert 
Stuart,  who  has  lately  deceased.  He  was  a  native  of  Rhode  Island, 
and,  after  leaving  college,  made  up  his  mind  to  follow  painting  as  a 
profession,  and  not  being  able  to  find  a  proper  master  in  this  coun- 
try, Copley  being  then  gone  to  England,  he  embarked  for  that 
country,  in  1775,  and  put  himself  under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  West, 
who  was  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame.  Stuart  soon  became  a 
favourite  pupil  of  his  master,  and  graduated  from  his  school  with  a 
high  reputation  as  a  portrait  painter ;  he  ranked  secondjojipjjne,  jp 
London,  but  Sir  Joshua  Reynold^.  "Vvhilein  the  metropolis,  he 
EacTthe  good  fortune  to  become  acquainted  with  Burke,  Fox,  Sheri- 
dan, and  with  many  of  their  associates.  These  men  were  not  only 
patrons  of  the.  arts,  but  the  friends  of  artists.  He  painted  several 
of  them  in  a  fine  style,  which  spread  his  fame  far  and  wide.  From 
25 


194  LECTURES  ON 

London  he  went  to  Ireland,  and  spent  several  years  in  Dublin.  In 
this  city  he  was  without  a  rival,  and  had  as  much  business  as  he 
could  attend  to.  In  the  polished  society  of  that  hospitable  and 
tasteful  place  he  was  a  great  favourite  ;  and  he  relished  the  wit  and 
gaiety  of  the  Irish  beyond  measure.  Painters  seldom  feel  content- 
ed'to  remain  many  years  in  one  place.  They  are  anxious  to  catch 
the  admiration  of  many  cities  and  different  classes  of  society,  to 
see  new  faces,  and  to  study  expression  in  every  variety.  At  this 
time,  Washington  was,  as  his  name  ever  will  be,  the  idol  of  every 
lover  of  liberty,  and  the  world  were  anxious  to  have  a  correct  like- 
ness of  him.  The  Whigs  of  England  were  desirous  that  Stuart 
should  come  to  the  United  States  for  this  purpose.  They  had  seen 
what  were  called  likenesses  of  this  great  man,  from  painters,  en- 
gravers, and  sculptors,  but  still  were  not  satisfied  ;  nothing,  as  yet, 
had  been  produced  that  reached  their  idea  of  him.  When  Stuart 
arrived  at  the  city  of  Washington,  the  great  man  had  retired  from 
all  office,  and  was  in  private  life  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  had  been 
so  often  annoyed  by  every  fledgling  artist,  that  he  came  to  the  deter- 
mination to  sit  no  more  for  any  one ;  bxit  Stuart's  fame,  and  Mrs. 
Washington's  solicitations,  overruled  his  resolution,  and  the  hero 
and  statesman  was  again  seated  for  his  picture.  In  the  chair  for 
the  painter,  Washington  was  apt  to  fall  into  a  train  of  thought,  and 
become  abstracted  from  the  things  around  him,  and  of  course  most 
of  the  likenesses  of  him,  show  more  of  gravity  of  muscle,  than  of 
the  divinity  of  intelligence.  When  he  sat  to  Stuart,  as  the  latter 
has  often  stated,  an  apathy  seemed  to  seize  him,  and  a  vacuity 
spread  over  his  countenance,  most  appalling  to  the  painter.  The 
best  portrait  painter  of  the  age,  was  now  to  take  the  likeness  of  the 
greatest  man  of  all  ages ;  and  the  artists  and  the  patriots  of  all 
countries  were  interested  in  it.  To  have  failed  in  getting  a  good 
likeness  would  have  been  death  to  the  artist's  fame,  and  a  perprtual 
source  of  mortification  to  the  people  of  the  country.  Stuart  was, 
like  Washington,  not  easily  overcome ;  he  made  several  fruitless 
attempts  to  awaken  the  heroick  spirit  in  him,  by  talking  of  battles, 
but  in  vain  ;  he  next  tried  to  warm  up  the  patriot  and  sage,  by  turn- 
ing the  conversation  to  the  republican  ages  of  antiquity ;  this  was 
equally  unsuccessful.  At  length  the  painter  struck  on  the  master- 
key,  and  opened  a  way  to  his  mind  which  he  has  so  happily  trans- 
ferred to  the  canvass  with  the  features  of  his  face.  In  the  whole 
of  this  picture,  in  every  limb,  as  well  as  feature,  the  martial  air  of 
the  warrior  chief,  is  admirably  mingled  with  the  dignity  and 
majesty  of  the  statesman  and  sage.  It  was  a  proper  period  in  the 
life  of  Washington  for  a  good  picture.  The  bloom  and  beauty  of 
youth  have  no  majesty  or  greatness  in  them  on  the  canvass ;  ma- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  195 

lurity  and  gravity  are  necessary  to  give  a  picture  a  proper  effect ; 
the  lines  of  thought  must  be  in  the  face  ;  the  marks  of  dangers 
braved,  and  duties  done,  must  be  there  also.  Nor  should  the 
painter  wait  until  decrepitude  and  the  dullness  of  age  approaches. 
There  is  a  period  in  the  life  of  man,  when  Nature  seems  to  stop, 
having  matured  her  work,  to  contemplate  it  herself,  before  she 
suffers  Time  to  begin  his  ravages.  This  was  that  moment.  The 
picture,  like  the  original,  was  peerless.  The  artist  himself  copied 
it  several  times  with  great  success.  It  has  been  copied  a  thousand 
times  by  others,  and  every  copy  contains  something  of  the  first 
likeness— no  small  proof  of  its  excellence  and  truth. 

Stuart  tarried  a  year  or  two  in  the  city  of  Washington,  and 
during  the  time,  painted  John  Adams,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Mr.  Madi- 
son, and  many  other  distinguished  men  of  our  country.  He  re- 
moved from  Washington  to  Philadelphia,  which  was  then  greatly 
in  advance  of  the  other  cities  and  great  towns  in  the  United  States, 
in  every  branch  of  the  fine  firts.  Here,  too,  he  was  a  favourite  in 
society  as  well  as  in  his  profession.  He  often  spoke  of  his  resi- 
dence in  Philadelphia  with  great  pleasure,  and  frequently  began 
some  of  his  anecdotes  with — "  When  I  resided  in  the  Athens  of 
America."  His  next  remove  was  to  Boston,  where  he  resided  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life.  At  first  he  did  not,  perhaps,  think 
of  making  this  city  a  permanent  residence ;  but  there  have  never 
been  many,  who  were  comfortably  situated  in  society  there,  who 
ever  wished  to  change  it  for  any  other  place  in  this  country.  For 
several  years  after  his  coming  to  Boston,  he  was  overwhelmed  with 
business ;  many  had  to  wait  months  for  an  opportunity  of  sitting 
to  him  ;  and  even  in  his  latter  years  he  frequently  had  more  calls 
than  he  could  answer,  notwithstanding  a  number  of  painters,  quite 
eminent  in  their  profession,  had  collected  in  Boston,  and  were  active 
and  attentive  in  their  professional  pursuits.  All,  in  his  line,  looked 
up  to  him  as  their  head,  and  felt  no  jealousy  of  him,  for  his  pre- 
eminence was  generally  acknowledged.  Most  of  the  opulent 
families  of  Boston  have  pictures  from  his  pencil ;  a  house  is  hardly 
considered  as  properly  furnished,  or  certainly  not  complete  in  its 
ornaments,  without  some  head  by  Stuart.  Although  he  often  ex- 
pressed a  strong  desire  to  do  something  in  the  historical  way  to 
leave  behind  him,  yet  he  never  found  time  for  the  purpose.  In 
some  of  the  back  grounds  of  his  portraits,  he  has  sketched  some 
emblematick  outlines  with  admirable  effect.  These  sketches  go 
far  to  show  what  he  might  have  done  in  the  historical  line,  if  he 
had  pursued  it. 

The  number  of  his  portraits  is  wonderful,  and  are,  in  general, 
fine  likenesses ;  some  few  are  failures ;  but  "  Homer  sometimes 


190  LECTURES  ON 

nods."  He  had  the  power  of  giving  the  best  expression  of  a  face. 
The  mind  and  character  of  the  original  seems  to  breathe  from  his 
canvass;  and  if  there  be  a  fault  in  his  best  pictures,  it  is,  that  he  some- 
times, in  the  plentitude  of  his  power  in  the  art,  threw  a  ray  of  his 
own  genius  into  a  countenance  in  which  nature  had  given  no  indi- 
cation that  she  had  stolen  the  fire  from  heaven  to  light  it  up.  For 
forty  years,  or  more,  he  stood  at  the  head  of  his  profession  as  a 
painter  of  the  human  face  divine. 

In  his  person,  Stuart  was  rather  large,  and  his  movements,  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  were  slow  and  heavy,  but  not  ungraceful. 
His  manners  had  something  of  the  formality  of  the  old  school ; 
but  it  was  evident,  at  the  first  blush,  that  he  had  been  conversant 
with  good  society.  He  loved  to  display  his  powers  as  a  conversa- 
tionist, and  to  come  in  friendly  collision  with  intelligence  and  wit, 
in  order  to  sparkle  and  shine.  He  was  sometimes  a  little  fastidious 
and  eccentrick :  but  he  never  lost  the  manners  of  a  gentleman  on 
any  occasion.  His  literary  acquirements  Avere  of  a  high  order,  for 
a  professional  man,  constantly  employed 3  but  his  early  education 
was  good,  and  the  foundations  of  a  classical  education  were  well 
laid.  His  penetration  was  acute ;  for  he  saw  at  a  glance  the  quali- 
ties of  the  mind  of  the  person  who  came  only  to  have  an  image  of 
his  person  struck  out.  He  had  often  accurately  weighed  the  intel- 
lect of  his  sitting  subject  before  he  had  finished  the  mechanical 
operation  of  measuring  the  size  of  his  head.  He  reasoned  upon 
the  principles  of  his  profession  with  a  depth  of  philosophy  worthy 
of  a  master  ;  and  he  always  contended  that  a  regard  should  be  had 
to  the  moral  as  well  as  physical,  in  making  a  just  portrait  of  a  man. 
The  capacities  of  his  art  were  all  known  to  him,  and  he  ridiculed 
the  numerous  futile  attempts  to  go  beyond  them. 

The  lives  and  works  of  the  great  artists  of  all  ages  were  familiar 
to  him  as  his  pallet.  He  discoursed  upon  their  excellences,  defects, 
and  peculiarities,  as  one  who  had  read  and  examined  them  all  most 
thoroughly.  His  eloquence  was  peculiar  and  attractive ;  his  voice 
was  strong  and  deep ;  his  enunciation  clear  and  distinct ;  and  his 
countenance  came  in  aid  of  his  voice,  for  his  features  were  bold  and 
lion-like,  and  no  stranger  ever  passed  him  without  mentally  saying, 
"  That  is  no  ordinary  man."  It  was  a  treat  to  see  him  in  his  best 
humour:  for  he  was  full  of  anecdote;  and  told  a  story  with  such 
neatness,  precision,  point,  and  elegance  of  language,  that  it  often 
happened,  that  those  who  came  to  admire  his  painting,  went  away 
charmed  with  his  eloquence.  By  the  alchymy  of  his  genius,  he  dis- 
tilled the  essence  of  every  topick  of  conversation,  and  gave  a  spirit 
and  flavour  to  even  playfulness  and  trifling.  Titles,  wealth,  and 
beauty,  at  whose  shrines  the  world  pay  their  devotions,  had  no 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  197 

controlling  influence  over  him ;  he  was  too  much  self-concentrated 
and  too  full  of  "  the  sin  for  which  fell  the  angels,"  to  do  homage  to 
any  thing  but  commanding  talents,  and  these  devoted  to  letters  and 
the  arts.  He  had  no  respect  for  those  engaged  in  the  ordinary  business 
of  life ;  I  mean  that  respect  the  world  pays,  and  ought  to  bestow  on 
prudence,  economy,  calculation,  and  thrift.  Nor  was  he  very  much 
disposed  to  give  a  great  share  of  praise  to  those  who  became  distin- 
guished rather  by  industry  than  by  superior  abilities ;  he  really  did, 
or  effected  to  despise  all  elaborate  niceties  and  painful  finishing,  for 
he  cared  for  none  of  these  himself ;  not  that  he  was  an  advocate 
for  careless  and  rapid  productions,  but  he  looked  for  the  touches  of 
genius,  and  often  remarked  that  artists  of  ordinary  capacity  mistook 
work  for  study.  He  thought  no  man  should  be  found  among  the 
sons  of  the  prophets,  without  a  good  share  of  the  true  spirit  of  in- 
spiration; and  did  not  hesitate,  at  times,  when  the  world  were 
running  after  some  new  artist,  to  say,  with  some  little  bitterness, 
"That  man  had  better  have  continued  his  pursuit  for  his  father's 
lost  cattle,  than  to  have  come  among  the  prophets !"  His  opinions, 
however,  of  the  works  of  young  men,  were,  in  general,  candid,  and 
often  kind,  if  the  authors  were  modest  and  desirous  of  instruction ; 
but  upon  the  pert  and  impudent,  his  satire  was  of  the  keenest  sort ; 
it  came  in  all  forms,  of  irony,  epigram,  and  scourge,  until  the  dul- 
lest brain  was  made  to  understand,  and  the  thickest  hide  to  feel. 
It  was  seldom  that  he  was  roused  to  resentment ;  but,  when  he  was, 
his  invective  was  fierce  and  terrible.  He  was  too  proud  to  seek 
admiration,  but  well-timed  compliment  was  not  lost  on  him ;  a  love 
of  it  makes  up  a  part  of  the  character  of  every  great  artist. 

Fickleness  is  an  ingredient  that  is  frequently  mingled  with  taste 
and  refinement.  Athens,  in  her  poudest  days,  gave  strange  evi- 
dences of  this  truth ;  and  the  community  hi  which  Stuart  spent  the 
latter  part  of  his  days,  has,  with  some  justice,  been  charged  with 
it  also.  But  if  ever,  in  the  restlessness  of  caprice,  any  one  re- 
marked that  Stuart  was  growing  old ;  that  his  eye  had  lost  some- 
thing of  its  accurary,  and  his  hand  had  become  tremulous ;  or  that 
increasing  infirmities  had  made  him  testy,  the  people  would  not 
listen  for  a  moment  to  any  such  remarks ;  they  would  not  give  up 
their  favourite.  These  rumours  of  the  decay  of  his  faculties  some- 
times reached  the  ears  of  Stuart,  and  suddenly  some  great  effort  of 
his  pencil  would  be  brought  out,  that  showed  at  once  that  the  inti- 
mations were  groundless,  and  proved  that  envy,  caprice,  or  slander, 
had  no  power  over  his  deep  rooted  reputation. 

The  errours  of  men  of  genius— for  when  were  men  of  genius 
without  errours?  are  generally  injurious  only  to  themselves,  and 
should  be  buried  with  them ;  but  their  merits  should  be  embalmed 
R  2 


198  LECTURES  ON 

by  their  epitaphs,  written  by  kindred  spirits,  and  engraven  on 
monuments  and  columns,  and  transferred  to  the  page  of  history,  to 
make  up  a  part  of  their  country's  glory.  Envy  and  ill  nature  often 
magnify  these  errours,  and  set  them  down,  and  con  them  by  heart, 
which,  when  rightly  understood,  are  only  the  offspring  of  irritable 
nerves  and  delicate  fibres ;  and  should  be  given  over  by  the  moralist 
and  biographer,  to  the  consideration  of  the  physician ;  for  they  are 
mostly  diseases  of  a  physical  nature. 

He  was  impatient  of  criticism  upon  his  works,  even  from  the 
choice  spirits  who  surrounded  him ;  and  in  the  last  place  of  his  resi- 
dence, he  had  not  a  few  of  them ;  and  it  is  to  be  presumed  that  in 
other  cities  he  had  as  many.  They  did  not,  with  all  their  taste  and 
talents,  dare  to  venture  farther  than  just  hint  a  defect,  or  an  omis- 
sion ;  and  that  he  never  received  very  graciously,  even  if  his  good 
sense  induced  him  to  adopt  the  suggestion.  But  if  ignorant  or  vain 
patronizing  sitters  began  to  criticise,  or  find  fault,  he  perhaps  parried 
the  first  attempts  with  a  delicate  sarcasm,  or  a  sneer,  half  concealed 
by  a  smile ;  but  if  this  did  not  operate  as  an  estoppel,  and  the  remarks 
were  repeated,  he  turned  upon  them  with  that  resentful  and  appal- 
ling directness,  that  either  produced  silence  or  a  quarrel.  He  would 
not  bear  any  flippant  connoisseur  about  him.  Numerous  instances 
have  been  related,  and  many  of  them  believed,  of  his  having  resent- 
ed a  hasty  word  from  men  of  the  first  standing  in  society,  by  refus- 
ing to  finish  a  picture,  and  nothing  would  ever  induce  him  to  touch 
it  again.  One  of  these  pictures,  on  which  a  dandy  criticism  pro- 
duced a  quarrel,  and  which  is  unfinished  still,  is  one  of  exquisite 
beauty;  it  is  three  views  of  the  beautiful  face  of  a  celebrated  dame, 
who  was  then  just  married  to  a  foreign  magnate.  It  is  but  justice, 
however,  to  say,  that  it  was  not  the  lady  who  made  the  offensive 
remarks,  but  her  dapper  husband,  who  found  fault  with  the  drapery. 
"  That  you  can  buy,"  said  the  indignant  artist,  "  at  any  milliner's 
shop  in  the  city."  This  happened  while  Stuart  resided  in  Wash- 
ington. He  contended  that  no  artist  should  ever  submit  to  these 
vexations ;  that  they  should,  one  and  all,  set  their  faces  against  them. 
He  often  remarked,  that  Haley,  who  wrote  a  good  deal  of  tame 
poetry,  should  be  forgiven  for  all  this,  and  for  lavishing  so  much 
praise  on  Romney,  for  the  following  lines  on  the  painter's  evils : 

"For  when  the  canvass,  with  the  minor's  truth, 
Reflects  the  perfect  form  of  age  or  youth, 
The  fond  aifections  of  the  partial  mind, 
The  eye  of  judgement  with  delusions  blind; 
Each  mother  bids  him  brighter  tints  employ, 
And  give  more  spirit  to  her  booby  boy ; 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  199 

Nor  can  the  painter,  -with  his  utmost  art, 
Express  the  image  in  the  lover's  heart ; 
Unconscious  of  the  change  the  Seasons  bring, 
Autumnal  beauty  asks  the  rose  of  Spring ; 
And  vain  self-love,  in  every  age  the  same, 
Will  fondly  urge  some  visionary  claim ; 
The  luckless  painter,  destin'd  to  submit, 
Mourns  the  lost  likeness,  which  he  once  had  hit ; 
And,  doom'd  to  groundless  censure,  bears  alone 
The  grievous  load  of  errours  not  his  own." 


To  one  who  works  for  gain  alone,  these  things  are  no  evils ;  he 
cares  nothing  for  them,  but  yields  to  every  suggestion ;  is  a  kind 
good  man,  is  admired,  gets  his  fees,  and  thinks  no  more  of  his  work, 
nor  of  its  destiny,  which,  probably,  is  to  hang  a  while  in  the  par- 
lour, thence  to  be  removed  to  the  garret,  and  from  there  pass  off"  to 
oblivion  by  damps  or  rats ;  but  to  such  a  painter  as  Stuart,  who 
fondly  hoped,  and  firmly  believed,  that  he  was  painting  for  unborn 
ages,  and  that  his  common  pictures  would  be  sought  for  and  valued 
as  a  Rubens  or  a  Guido,  these  paltry  criticisms  were  gall  and  worm- 
wood for  the  moment,  but  were  never  remembered  afterwards,  or, 
if  they  were,  they  were  only  called  up,  for  the  amusement  of  some 
of  his  friends,  in  an  hour  of  relaxation  or  merriment. 

The  fame  of  Stuart  is  secure :  no  chance  can  destroy  it.  His  por- 
traits are  too  numerous,  and  are  too  widely  scattered,  to  be  lost  by 
fire  or  flood.  Some  of  them  will  remain  under  any  circumstances ; 
and  he  has  painted  many  men  of  distinction,  in  their  day  and  gene- 
ration, whose  reputation  will  go  down  to  posterity  with  his.  There 
is  a  sort  of  tacit  contract  between  a  great  man  in  the  literary,  politi- 
cal, or  scientifick  world,  and  his  painter,  if  he,  too,  be  distinguished, 
to  join  hand  and  hand,  and  present  themselves  to  future  ages  to- 
gether. On  Stuart's  paintings,  his  contemporaries  have  given  a 
verdict,  and  it  is  on  record,  "that  his  likenesses  are  admirable ;" 
and  other  times  shall  pronounce  them  fine  paintings.  He  has  not 
wasted  his  strength  on  dress  and  drapery,  which  is  often  admired 
by  those  it  was  intended  to  please  or  flatter,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
generation  or  two,  is  a  subject  of  amusement  to  the  descendants  of 
the  stately  dame  they  adorn  or  encumber.  They  laugh  at  the  niceties 
of  ruff  or  stomacher,  which  cost  weeks  of  labour  to  artists.  Stuart 
wisely  brought  ah1  his  talents,  and  all  the  powers  of  hisart,  to  bear  upon 
the  human  countenance,  which,  amidst  all  the  varieties  of  the  race 
of  man,  in  every  climate,  and  every  age  of  the  world,  still  wears  the 
image  of  his  Maker.  The  seal  which  gave  assurance  of  a  man  has 
never  been  broken  or  effaced.  It  was  not  that  Stuart  wanted  the 


200  LECTURES  ON 

art  of  painting  most  excellent  drapery.  In  the  picture  of  Wash- 
ington, painted  for  the  artist's  native  state,  and  which  adorns  their 
hall  of  legislation,  the  drapery,  furniture,  and  accompaniments,  are 
considered  superiour  to  the  figure  of  Washington  itself,  which  is  one 
of  Stuart's  best  paintings.  He  was  wise  in  one  other  respect.  He 
painted  with  permanent  colours. .  If  they  were  not  so  beautiful  at 
first  sight,  as  the  delicate  lakes  and  carmines,  they  were  put  on  with 
a  full  faith  in  their  durability.  He  seldom  or  never  spoke  of  his 
colours  without  alluding  to  the  melancholy  fact,  that  most  of  Sir 
Joshua's  paintings  had  faded,  and  were  now  out  of  sight. 

It  is  often  asked,  of  what  school  was  your  great  painter  1  He  would 
acknowledge  no  master ;  but  if  what  the  ancients  have  told  us  of 
Parrhasius  and  Aristides  be  true,  he  had  much  of  their  manner  and 
spirit,  and  no  small  share  of  the  former's  self-esteem.  Most  certainly 
he  had  nothing  of  the  present  Italian  or  French  schools  in  his  com- 
positions. Himself,  his  works,  his  taste,  his  conversation,  his  tone, 
were  all  masculine ;  so  deeply  masculine,  that,  in  but  a  very  few 
instances,  did  he  ever  succeed  in  making  a  fine  picture  of  a  great 
beauty.  The  character  of  so  great  an  artist  deserves  a  minute  bio- 
graphy ;  but  this  is  not  within  the  plan  of  my  work.  It  is  said  that 
the  artists  are  about  to  erect  a  monument  to  his  memory.  If  this 
be  done,  may  some  learned  and  tasteful  brother — Trumbull,  Alston, 
or  some  other  one  who  knew  him  well — write  his  epitaph,  in  the 
spirit  of  admiring  truth ;  and  make  his  biography  a  portrait  that 
may  bear  to  be  placed  in  the  Temple  of  Taste,  along  side  the  pro- 
ductions of  his  pencil.  He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four, 
in  the  full  possession  of  his  faculties. 

As  a  miniature  painter,  the  reputation  of  Edward  G.  Malbone, 
formerly  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  stands  first  of  all  who  have 
come  forward  in  this  line  of  the  art.  I  had  prepared  a  short  me- 
moir of  the  early  history  of  his  life,  from  the  best  sources  in  my 
power  to  command ;  but,  on  receiving  some  facts  of  his  rise  and 
progress  in  his  profession,  from  a  literary  gentleman  of  Newport, 
which,  from  his  character,  and  from  the  means  he  had  of  obtaining 
them,  cannot  fail  to  be  interesting  to  all ;  for  they  come,  as  it  were, 
from  the  nursery,  and  the  school-room,  and  the  mansion  house, 
with  the  stamp  of  genuineness  on  them.  But  as  I  shall  reserve  this 
for  some  more  ample  page,  I  will  make  a  few  observations  on  an 
artist,  who  was  the  first  that  ever  gave  me  the  slightest  taste  for 
the  delicate  touches  of  the  miniature  painter.  It  has  generally 
been  considered,  that  miniature  painting  was  of  an  order  less,  in 
the  scale  of  genius,  than  portrait  painting.  It  has  been  said  to  com- 
pare with  it,  as  the  sonnet  does  with  the  ode ;  but  I  could  never  see 
the  force  of  the  remark  ;  why  it  should  not  require  as  much  taste 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  201 

and  genius  to  paint  a  picture  "  in  little,"  as  in  great,  I  cannot  un- 
derstand. The  image  of  the  original  must  be  as  accurately  caught, 
and  as  faithfully  delineated ;  the  touch  must  be  more  nice,  and  the 
tints  more  delicate;  a  susceptibility  of  the  beautiful  and  the  re- 
fined must  be  more  requisite  in  the  miniature  than  the  portrait  or 
historical  painter ;  and  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  study  nature 
more  minutely  ;  the  exquisite  tints  of  the  flower  or  the  pebble  are 
to  be  examined  by  him  with  an  intensity  that  cannot  be  required  in 
one  who  sweeps  with  his  eye  the  rude  crag  and  lofty  mountain, 
and  catches  the  bold  features  of  romantick  scenery  ;  nor  of  one  who 
paints  a  full  sized  man.  It  has  been  said  to  be  a  rule  of  nature,  to 
send  taste  to  reside  with  beauty,  or  at  least  to  allow  him  to  learn 
his  first  lessons  where  she  is  to  be  found ;  and  the  history  of  Mai- 
bone  is  in  accordance  with  this  principle ;  for  the  shores  of  Greece 
never  presented  more  beautiful  subjects  for  the  pencil  than  those 
on  which  the  artist  first  opened  his  eyes ;  and  he  has  done  honour 
to  his  birth  place,  for  perhaps  there  never  was  an  artist,  certainly 
never  one  so  little  acquainted  with  the  rules  of  art,  who  gave  such 
ethereal  touches  to  his  paintings  as  Malbone.  With  the  most  exact 
likenesses,  he  seemed  to  avoid  all  the  coarse,  earthly  particles  in 
his  subjects,  leaving  only  enough  of  matter  to  express  the  intellec- 
tual spirit  and  character  they  contained.  Malbone's  mind,  like  a 
fine  piece  of  wax,  seemed  first  to  take  the  impression  of  that  which 
he  was  to  transfer  to  the  ivory ;  and  then  it  was  found  there,  co- 
loured by  nature  in  her  loveliest  manner.  The  early  part  of  Mai- 
bone's  education  could  not  be  considered  profound  or  classical,  but 
such  were  his  habits  of  critical  observation,  and  close  attention  to 
study,  that  he  was  soon  distinguished  for  his  intellectual  acquire- 
ments. He  perhaps  dwelt  too  much  on  the  refined  portions  of 
knowledge  to  make  a  robust  mind ;  but  there  is  more  power  hi  a 
delicate  one  than  is  generally  imagined  ;  as  one  bred  in  the  bowers 
of  learning,  may  be  as  lofty  and  commanding  as  one  accustomed  to 
the  toils  of  the  chase  or  war.  He  was  much  admired  in  society ;  for 
his  conversation  was  rich  and  refined,  and  it  never  failed  to  charm, 
his  life  being  as  pure  as  his  taste.  He  had  seen  too  much  of  men  to 
be  bigoted  or  vain ;  and  he  polished  his  own  by  the  manners  of  all; 
but  copied  none. 

Malbone  was  unfortunate,  at  times,  in  his  colours,  although  he 
made  many  chemical  attempts  to  improve  the  old  colouring  ; 
and  it  is  to  be  deeply  regretted,  that  in  some  of  his  finest  minia- 
tures, a  winding-sheet  resemblance  is  all  that  remains  of  her  who 
was  once  as  beautiful  as  an  angel.  Other  paintings  of  his  may 
have  been  more  lasting  than  those  I  have  seen.  The  touches  of 
the  finest  pencil,  in  these  fading  colours,  are  but  little  better  than 
36 


202  LECTURES  ON 

the  words  of  the  orator  who  gives  his  eloquence  to  Echo,  and  trusts 
to  the  remembrance  of  that  alone  for  immortality.  He  lived  before 
the  time  had  fairly  come  for  the  just  appreciation  of  such  talents. 
The  generation  that  achieved  the  revolution,  had  enough  to  do  to 
fight  it  out,  and  in  repairing  their  fortunes  after  the  conflict  was 
over ;  they  and  their  children  were  busy  in  fixing  every  constitu- 
tional principle,  and  guarding  their  rights  by  every  form  of  law ; 
and  those  who  were  not  directly  engaged,  were  pursuing  commerce 
and  agriculture,  and  laying  the  foundation  of  manufactures ;  there- 
fore, there  were  but  few  who  could  justly  appreciate  such  a  delicate 
artist  as  Malbone. 

Another  artist  of  some  celebrity  in  his  time,  was  Edward  Savage. 
Feeling  the  inspiration  of  a  painter  in  his  native  land,  he  procured 
means  and  went  abroad,  and  put  himself  for  a  while  under  the  di- 
rection of  West,  and  travelled  into  Italy.  Before  he  left  this  coun- 
try he  had  painted  the  Washington  family,  which,  as  a  print,  is  now 
found  in  every  part  of  this  country.  Finding  no  person  willing,  or 
sufficiently  at  leisure,  to  undertake  the  engraving  of  this  picture,  he 
took  up  the  graver  himself,  and  made  a  very  respectable  work  of  it, 
for  that  age,  when  there  were  but  few  good  engravings  published 
in  London.  Those  who  knew  Savage  always  spoke  of  him  as  a 
man  of  diversified  talents  and  great  industry ;  but  he  divided  his 
time  among  so  many  things,  that  he  could  not  do  himself  justice  in 
any  one  of  them ;  yet  he  did  all  he  undertook  to  do  much  better 
than  could  be  expected  of  one  engaged  in  so  many  matters  of  taste 
and  art.  He  commenced  a  museum  first  in  New- York,  and  then 
brought  it  to  Boston  ;  and  it  is  the  same  which  now  forms  a  part 
of  that  extensive  collection,  the  New-England  Museum.  He  died 
in  retirement,  having  devoted  his  latter  days  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

Col.  John  Trumbull,  who  is  now  living,  was  the  contemporary 
of  Stuart  and  Johnson,  an  acquaintance  of  Copley's,  and  a  student 
with  West.  His  life  has  been  more  full  of  incident,  than  his  bro- 
ther artists',  for  he  has  been  soldier,  politician,  and  traveller,  as 
well  as  painter.  In  him  the  love  of  his  art  was  early  developed. 
It  began  in  the  nursery ;  and  before  he  was  prepared  to  enter  col- 
lege he  had  painted  several  pictures ;  and  while  at  Cambridge,  in 
his  leisure  moments,  he  indulged  himself  in  painting.  Some  of 
these  efforts,  before  he  had  received  a  single  lesson,  were  seen  by 
Copley,  who  bestowed  upon  them  a  cordial  smile  of  approbation. 
He  then  had  but  a  faint  expectation  of  making  the  art  his  main 
pursuit.  After  leaving  college  in  1773,  still  quite  young,  he  went 
to  his  father's  house  in  Connecticut,  and  was  there  employed  in 
the  acquirement  of  general  knowledge,  and  meditating  on  his  fu- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  203 

ture  course  in  life.  The  times  were  then  difficult.  The  political 
storms  were  gathering  rapidly,  and  the  learned  professions  pro- 
mised but  little.  A  belief  that  an  appeal  to  arms  would  be  neces- 
sary, induced  all  the  citizens  to  be  active  in  getting  a  knowledge 
of  their  use,  and  they  turned  their  eyes  every  way  for  instructors 
in  the  art  of  war.  Trumbull,  like  Knox,  Brooks,  Hamilton,  and 
many  other  spirited  young  men,  had  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  the  elements  of  military  tacticks,  and  was  greatly  in  ad- 
vance of  his  fellow-citizens  in  general,  in  this  branch  of  informa- 
tion ;  and  on  his  joining  a  train-band,  they  made  him  an  officer,  and 
he  began  his  drill ;  and  hi  June,  1775,  he  was  found  a  Brigade 
Major  in  the  Connecticut  line,  at  the  seat  of  war,  discharging  his 
duty.  During  that  summer  he  was  under  the  eye  of  Washington, 
who  promoted  him,  for  his  talents,  to  be  his  aid,  the  second  he  had 
appointed ;  Mifflin  had  come  on  in  that  capacity  from  Pennsylvania 
with  him.  In  the  fall  of  1776,  he  was  appointed  adjutant-general  of 
the  northern  army.  In  this  capacity  he  acted  until  the  autumn  of 
1777,  with  great  credit  to  himself,  and  advantage  to  the  army,  in  bring- 
ing the  raw  recruits,  then  pouring  in  at  the  north,  to  a  tolerable 
state  of  discipline.  While  in  this  office,  he  thought  himself  super- 
seded, which  his  pride  could  not  brook,  and  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission and  returned  to  his  native  state.  Still  the  professions  held 
out  no  alluring  prospect,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  to  become  an 
artist. 

As  soon  as  this  determination  was  fixed,  he  made  his  way  to 
England,  to  place  himself  under  the  guidance  and  instruction  of  his 
countryman,  Mr.  West,  then  at  the  head  of  the  artists  in  England. 
Here  he  had  sheathed  his  sword,  and  shut  his  ears  to  all  political 
strife,  and  was  advancing  his  knowledge  in  the  bosom  of  the  arts; 
his  love  of  country  was  neither  destroyed  or  abated,  but  everything 
justified,  yea,  required  his  silence ;  and  in  quiet  he  was  going  on; 
when,  at  the  close  of  1780,  the  news  reached  England  that  Andre 
was  taken  and  executed.  The  ministers  received  the  news  in  a 
paroxysm  of  rage,  and  the  first  impression  on  their  minds  was  re- 
venge. They  had  received  an  intimation  that  the  young  American 
gentleman,  under  the  instruction  of  Mr.  J^hk  had  held,  in  the 
American  army,  a  rank  similar  to  that  o^^Brc  in  the  British. 
This  was  enough ;  an  order  was  issued  to  flpTol.  Trnmbull  and 
confine  him  to  the  tower,  on  the  principle  oftne  lex  talionis.  He 
was  then  brought  before  a  board  of  commissioners  for  an  examina- 
tion, in  order  to  obtain  all  the  facts  in  the  case.  The  youthful  officer 
bore  himself  proudly  before  them ;  but  freely  stated  to  them  the 
whole  course  of  his  military  life ;  and  the  causes  of  his  leaving  it ; 
avowed  his  unceasing  attachment  to  his  country,  with  a  full  belief 


204  LECTURES  ON 

of  her  success  in  the  struggle ;  and  urged,  yea,  dared  them  to  an 
immediate  trial.  He  gave  them  also  to  understand,  that  his  father 
was  at  that  time  governor  of  the  state  of  Connecticut,  and  had  seve- 
ral hundred  prisoners  under  his  charge ;  all  these  would  be  con- 
sidered as  hostages  for  his  safety.  This  fearless  course  was  rather 
troublesome  to  the  premier ;  he  wished  to  allay  the  publick  ferment, 
and  yet  did  not  venture  to  put  in  jeopardy  the  lives  of  innocent 
men,  who  might  be  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans  as  prisoners. 
No  preparations  were  made  for  bringing  Trumbull  to  trial,  although 
he  demanded  it  as  often  as  he  could.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
British  nation  considered  his  fate  as  sealed,  and  his  death  as  certain. 
After  a  while  he  was  removed  to  more  comfortable  quarters,  but  as 
securely  confined.  During  his  imprisonment,  Fox,  Burke,  and  the 
leaders  of  the  opposition,  often  visited  him,  but  gave  no  decided 
opinions  on  the  course  the  ministry  would  pursue.  At  length  it 
was  agreed  that  Burke  should  have  an  interview  with  Lord  North. 
Burke  could  always  approach  North,  even  in  the  bitterest  moments 
of  party  strife.  They  were  both  gentlemen  and  scholars,  and  these 
characters,  towards  each  other,  they  never  forgot  After  this  inter- 
view, Trumbull  was  released  on  bail ;  but  an  order  instantly  fol- 
lowed for  his  departure  forthwith.  He  went  to  France,  and  from 
thence  returned  to  America.  During  this  difficulty,  West  was  the 
warm  and  unshaken  friend  of  his  pupil,  and  proved  to  him  that  his 
virtues  were  as  exalted  as  his  talents,  that  his  heart  was  as  true  and 
steady  as  his  hand.  Col.  Trumbull  returned  to  England  after  the 
peace  of  1783,  and  was  most  graciously  received  by  his  old  friends, 
and  patronized  by  them  in  his  profession.  During  this  visit  he 
painted  the  SORTIE  OF  GIBRALTAR  ;  a  production  which  Horace 
Walpole  pronounced  the  best  that  had  ever  been  executed  this  side 
the  Alps. 

•  After  this  period,  for  some  years,  Col.  Trumbull  was  engaged  in 
political  life ;  first  as  secretary  of  legation  to  Mr.  Jay,  when  he  made 
his  treaty  with  Great  Britain ;  and  afterwards  as  one  of  the  com- 
missioners under  that  treaty  with  Mr.  Gore  and  Pinckney,  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States.  Up  to  this  period,  and  afterwards,  before 
he  returned  to  the  Ualtod  States,  several  productions  from  his  pencil 
attracted  the  notice^jHfc  publick,  and  added  to  his  reputation  as  an 
artist,  on  this  and  dHHP  other  side  of  the  water.  But  his  political 
life,  and  the  details  ofnfe  professional  career,  must  be  left  to  the  bio- 
grapher ;  they  are  too  voluminous  for  our  lectures ;  but  it  is  proper 
for  me  to  notice  the  labours  of  Col.  Trumbull  that  are  now  in  the 
possession  of  the  nation,  for  they  are  identified  with  our  history  and 
his  fame.  The  first  of  these  pictures  is  THE  DECLARATION  OF  IN- 
DEPENDENCE. This  as  well  as  the  other  three  are  purely  historical ; 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  205 

there  is  no  fiction  in  their  composition.  The  canvass  is  large,  and 
the  group  numerous,  forty-seven  in  number.  It  was  a  difficult  sub- 
ject for  the  pencil.  It  was,  in  a  measure,  a  still  life  scene,  solemn  j 
and  quiet— minds  intent  upon  a  great  subject,  but  it  was  the  same  ' 
to  nearly  all ;  for  it  was  no  triumph  of  party,  but  the  determination 
and  decision  of  nearly  the  whole  group.  Those  who  doubted  were 
equally  anxious  as  patriots;  but  only  questioned  the  expediency  of 
the  measure  at  that  moment.  Decision  is  marked  in  every  counte- 
nance, and  high-souled  resolve  is  delineated  in  every  feature.  The 
demeanour  of  the  whole  is  unique,  and  the  subsequent  events  have 
given  it  the  cast  of  political  consequence  it  has  now  assumed.  It 
was  only  a  bold  and  noble  act  then ;  it  is  now  a  god-like  one.  In  this 
picture  most  of  the  likenesses  were  from  life,  and  of  course  a  great 
many  of  the  portraits  of  that  august  body  have  been  preserved,  which 
could  not  otherwise  have  been  effected ;  for  no  one  had  enthusiasm 
sufficient  to  set  about  making  a  gallery  of  them  at  that  time.  Most 
of  them,  yea,  all  of  them,  with  only  one  exception,  have  gone  down 
to  join  the  congregation  of  the  dead  since  that  period ;  and  he  stands 
majestick  in  the  lonely  waste  of  ages.  This  picture  has  been  often 
criticised ;  but,  like  the  rest  of  them,  the  more  it  is  examined  the 
more  it  has  been  admired. 

The  surrender  of  the  army  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Ge- 
neral Burgoyne,  has  a  martial  air.  It  was  intended  by  the  painter  to 
have  such  an  effect.  Thepomp,  pride,  and  circumstance  of  war,  were 
thrown  into  it,  for  it  was  an  eventful  day  to  the  colonies.  The  solemn, 
suppressed  elevation  of  the  spirits  of  the  conquerors,  the  steadfast  gaze 
of  "young  eyed  wonder;"  for  there  were  in  that  army  but  few  who 
had  seen  service  before,  and  none  perhaps  who  had  seen  the  surrender 
of  an  army,  particularly  a  British  army ;  certainly  none  who  had  seen 
so  important  a  one.  The  autumnal  sky,  the  sear  and  yellow  leaf, 
is  exhibited  as  it  should  be,  in  this  painting.  The  likenesses  of  these 
heroes  are  faithful ;  so  very  true,  that  an  old  soldier,  examining  this 
picture,  in  the  winter  of  eighteen  hundred  and  twenty-seven,  pointed 
out  eleven  faces  which  he  knew,  most  of  whom  he  had  not  seen 
since  that  period,  a  lapse  of  nearly  half  a  century.  This  speaks  a 
volume  in  favour  of  the  truth  of  the  picture.  The  number  of  figures 
in  the  foreground  is  less  than  in  the  picture  of  signing  the  declara- 
tion of  independence,  being  only  twenty-seven  in  number ;  but  in 
the  distant  view  the  troops  of  either  army  is  seen,  and  this  gives 
great  relief  to  the  whole.  The  crest-fallen  countenance  of  Bur- 
goyne is  very  conspicuous.  The  group  is  not  crowded,  and 
there  seems  space  enough  for  all  that  was  transacted  at  this  impor- 
tant crisis. 

THE  TAKING  OF  CORKWALLIS  is  of  a  similar  character,  but  is 
S 


206  LECTURES  ON 

managed  by  the  painter  so  as  to  appear  quite  unlike.  This  picture 
is  more  easily  read  than  the  other,  and  there  is  no  point  about  it 
that  can  be  mistaken,  without  the  slightest  reference  to  the  expla- 
natory account,  excepting  a  few  of  the  names  of  the  French,  and  a 
few  of  the  American  officers,  whose  countenances  were  not  suffi- 
ciently known  to  be  readily  named.  The  discipline  of  the  American 
troops,  which  surprised  and  astonished  the  English  general,  is  ad- 
mirably seen  in  this  picture.  Many  of  the  American  army  were 
then  veterans  in  war,  and  they  showed  Earl  Cornwallis  that  against 
such  troops  it  would  be  in  vain  for  the  king  his  master  to  contend 
any  longer.  There  are  thirty-four  large  figures  in  this  picture,  and 
a  fine  background,  exhibiting  the  British  forces  marching  between 
two  lines  of  the  victorious  army  to  lay  down  their  arms.  A  greater 
number  of  that  noble  animal,  the  horse,  were  introduced  than  in  the 
picture  of  the  taking  of  Burgoyne,  which  to  many  gives  it  more  of  a 
military  air.  Many  of  the  likenesses  in  this  picture  are  also  admi- 
rable. This  was  the  closing  scene  of  the  revolutionary  war. 

WASHINGTON  RESIGNING  HIS  COMMISSION  TO  CONGRESS,  is 
the  last  of  the  four  great  pictures  the  property  of  the  United  States, 
and  is,  perhaps,  to  most  spectators,  the  most  interesting  of  the  whole, 
rather,  however,  from  its  moral  than  natural  sublimity.  A  warrior 
in  the  prime  of  manhood,  on  whom  the  glow  of  manly  beauty  was 
still  to  be  seen ;  who  had  accepted  the  command  of  an  undisciplined 
army,  in  every  way  unprepared  for  war,  which  had  nothing  but  the 
justice  of  their  cause,  and  an  indomitable  courage  to  support  it ;  and 
who,  after  enduring  with  them  every  hardship  and  privation,  had 
now  hastened  to  resign  his  commission,  without  rewards  or  stipu- 
lations of  honours  from  his  countrymen,  was  a  scene  unparalleled 
in  the  history  of  nations.  This  scene  exhibited  the  greatness  of  the 
patriot,  free  from  the  vulgar  ambition  of  the  military  chieftain ;  a 
triumphal  car,  or  an  ovation,  decreed  by  his  country,  would  have 
diminished  the  effect  of  this  solemn  unostentatious  ceremony, 
which  deserves  to  be  handed  down  to  the  latest  posterity,  to  show 
how  much  above  the  level  of  ordinary  greatness  was  the  leader 
of  our  armies  in  those  perilous  times.  It  is  of  importance  to  us 
to  retain  the  likenesses  of  some  of  this  congress,  which  had  then 
become  a  small  and  feeble  body,  but  still  contained  some  excellent 
men ;  but  it  is  more  important  to  preserve  an  accurate  likeness  of 
General  Washington,  which  this  is  said  to  be,  by  those  who  knew 
him  at  that  period  of  life.  Stuart's  picture  of  him  was  painted 
several  years  afterwards,  when  a  portion  of  the  soldier  was  lost  in 
the  statesman.  Trumbull's  was  taken  when  Washington  was  un- 
harnessing from  the  fight,  and  the  chivalrous  spirit  of  the  warrior 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  207 

was  in  every  word  and  look.    This  likeness  should  be  often  copied 
for  those  who  wish  to  preserve  his  lineaments  as  a  soldier. 

It  is  to  be  deeply  regretted  that  the  opportunity  of  extending  the 
number  of  the  remembrances  of  historical  events,  arising  out  of  our 
struggle  for  independence,  should  have  been  suffered  to  escape  us. 
We  have  only  a  third  part  of  those  which  might  have  been  obtained 
and  kept  as  rich  memorials  of  that  age.  The  veteran  from  whose 
pencil  we  have  had  these  four  pictures,  was  obliged  to  end  his  la-  ' 
hours  from  false  notions  of  economy  arising  up  among  our  national 
representatives,  while  his  eye  had  not  lost  its  accuracy,  nor  his  hand 
its  steadiness.  A  youth  of  prudence  has  given  him  a  vigorous  old 
ago.  Col.  Trumbull  is  not  only  at  the  head  of  the  historical  painters 
in  this  country,  but  is  among  our  most  accomplished  gentlemen 
and  scholars.  A  fine  early  education,  improved  by  travel,  and 
with  more  than  half  a  century's  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
most  polished  and  enlightened  minds  in  Europe  and  America, 
have  enriched  his  understanding  with  vast  stores  of  knowledge 
upon  almost  every  subject,  have  given  to  his  manners  ease  and 
grace,  and  to  his  style  of  conversation  a  charm  and  finish,  that  make 
him  the  delight  of  all  circles  of  fashion  and  taste  in  our  country. 
He  connects  the  former  with  the  present  age,  and  is  an  honour  to 
both. 

New  institutions,  it  is  said,  develope  new  talents,  or  awaken  those 
which  have  lain  dormant.  The  militia  of  the  United  States,  which 
was  organized  soon  after  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution, 
and  which  in  some  parts  of  the  country  grew  up  at  once  into  a  for- 
midable body  of  well  disciplined  men,  who  were  fond  of  every  mili- 
tary appendage,  and  prided  themselves  on  their  standards,  every 
company  having  a  right  to  one.  An  emulation  soon  arose  in  the 
militia,  for  those  of  great  splendour  and  taste.  The  custom  of  carry- 
ing a  waving  standard,  made  of  silk  or  light  stuff,  was  of  eastern 
origin.  It  is  said  that  the  custom  was  drawn  from  the  standard  of 
Mahomet,  which  was  the  turban  of  a  convert  chieftain,  who,  on 
espousing  the  prophet's  cause,  fixed  it,  on  an  emergency,  to  the 
head  of  his  lance,  and  unfurled  it  to  the  breeze.  The  standards  of 
the  Christian  warriors  were  of  a  different  appearance.  Those  of 
the  crusaders  were  small  and  square,  and  drawn  tight  over  a  frame. 
The  waving  ensigns  were  first  adopted  by  the  maritime  nations  of 
Europe,  from  the  mussulmans',as  being  far  more  beautiful,  and  more 
easily  managed,  than  others ;  and  then  they  came  into  use  among 
the  military  forces  of  the  same  nations.  We  took  our  colours  from 
England  ;  but  with  true  characteristick  ambition,  we  have  given  it 
a  more  magnificent  expansion ;  we  were  not  confined  by  the  laws 
of  any  herald  office.  The  GARTER  of  Arms  had  nothing  to  do 


808  LECTURES  ON 

with  our  northern  or  southern  ridings ;  we  had  no  fees  to  pay  for 
armorial  bearings,  and  no  fears  of  forfeitures  for  trespass  on  ano- 
ther's rights,  or  assumption  of  what  was  not  our  own.  The  inde- 
pendent corps,  as  those  who  have  certain  privileges,  have  been 
called  with  us,  took  great  pains  to  appear,  not  only  "  completely 
armed  and  equipt,  as  the  law  directs,"  but  also  to  support  a  most 
splendid  uniform,  and  other  imposing  appendages.  A  superb  ban- 
ner was  therefore  indispensably  necessary ;— to  effect  this,  they  em- 
ployed painters  of  taste,  whenever  they  could  be  found,  to  design 
and  paint  them.  Among  the  first  painters  in  this  branch  was  John- 
son, whose  talents  we  have  spoken  of  in  a  preceding  part  of  this 
lecture ;  but  after  a  few  years  he  was  surpassed  by  Penniman.  He 
has  brought  this  style  of  painting  to  very  great  perfection.  His  de- 
signs are  often  classical  and  ingenious,  and  frequently  have  an  ap- 
propriate bearing  upon  the  name  of  the  corps,  or  on  some  circum- 
stance of  its  history.  The  fashion  has  been  prevalent  for  young 
ladies  to  present  these  standards  to  military  companies,  with  patri- 
otick  addresses,  and  eloquent  prayers  for  the  prosperity  and  success 
of  the  brave  defenders  of  the  country ;  and  if  but  few  opportunities 
have  been  found  for  the  youthful  soldier  to  fulfil  his  promise  to  the 
fair — that  he  never  would  prove  a  recreant — not  one  particle  of  the 
admiration  bestowed  on  the  beauty  and  elegance  of  the  standard 
was  lost  on  the  artist  who  painted  it ;  he  became  freshly  inspired 
by  the  smile  of  beauty,  and  the  publick  admiration. 

Engraving  is  a  sister  art  to  painting,  and  follows  her  in  every  age. 
This  art  has  grown  up  among  us  with  astonishing  rapidity.  Thirty 
years  since,  there  were  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  engravers  in  the 
United  States,  and  these  of  a  secondary  order,  as  their  works  in  our 
periodicals  of  that  age  will  show ;  but  since  Bradford  published  the 
Encyclopedia,  the  art  has  been  cultivated  with  zeal  in  the  United 
States ;  and  there  are  now  to  be  found  a  very  considerable  number 
of  engravers,  whose  works  are  admirable,  and  are  held  in  high  esti- 
mation. A  taste  for  fine  engravings  is  extending  far  and  wide  in 
our  country,  and  patronage  makes  artists. 

Sculpture  is  now  attracting  the  attention  of  some  of  our  young 
men  of  talents,  who  have  produced  some  fine  specimens  of  the  art. 
They  will  find  encouragement,  for  there  are  every  day  exhibited 
new  proofs  of  the  partiality  of  the  opulent  in  this  country  for  this 
branch  of  the  fine  arts. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  209 


LECTURE  XII. 


But,  then,  it  must  be  remembered,  that  these  men  were  bred  and  edu- 
cated in  the  principles  of  a  free  government.  'Twas  hence  they  derived 
that  high  and  manly  spirit,  which  made  them  the  admiration  of  after  ages. 

HARRIS'S  HERMES. 

'Tis  LIBERTY,  that  is  formed  to  nurse  the  sentiments. of  great  geniuses  :  to 
inspire  them  with  hope,  to  push  forward  the  propensity  of  contest,  one  with 
another,  and  the  generous  emulation  of  being  the  first  in  rank. 

LONGINUS. 

A  good  orator  should  pierce  the  ear,  allure  the  eye,  and  invade  the  mind 
of  his  hearer. 

Words  are  not  all,  nor  matter  is  not  all,  nor  gestures ;  yet  together  they 
are.  'Tis  most  moving  in  an  orator,  when  the  soul  seems  to  speak  as  well 
as  the  tongue. 

Surely,  nothing  decks  an  orator  more,  than  a  judgement,  able  to  conceive 
and  utter. 

The  scriptures  are  penned  in  a  tongue  of  deep  expression  ;  wherein 
almost  every  word  hath  a  metaphorical  sense,  which  does  illustrate  by  some 
allusion. 

Nor  is  it  such  a  fault  as  some  make  it,  now  and  then  to  let  a  philosopher 
or  a  poet  come  in  and  wait,  and  give  a  trencher  to  this  banquet  of  eloquence. 
St.  Paul  is  a  precedent  for  it. 

I  never  knew  a  good  tongue,  that  wanted  ears  to  hear  it. 

I  will  honour  sacred  eloquence  in  her  plain  trim  ;  but  I  wish  to  meet  her 
in  her  graceful  jewels,  not  that  they  give  addition  to  her  goodness,  but  that 
she  is  more  persuasive  in  working  on  the  soul  she  meets  with. 

OWEN  PELTHAM,  on  Pulpit  Oratory. 

EVER  since  the  Almighty  gave  to  man  the  faculty  of  speech,  he 
has  been  proud  of  using  the  prerogative  well.  In  every  age,  to 
speak  well  has  been  thought  to  be  one  of  the  highest  human  ac- 
complishments, as  well  as  necessary  instrument,  in  gaining  and 
sustaining  power  and  authority.  It  has  led  to  the  direction  of  the 
affairs  of  nations,  and  to  the  establishment  of  creeds  in  philosophy 
and  religion.  The  great  lawgiver  of  Israel  felt  and  avowed  the 
want  of  eloquence  in  undertaking  his  divine  legation. 

"  And  Moses  said  unto  the  Lord,  O  my  Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent, 
neither  heretofore,  nor  since  thou  hast  spoken  unto  thy  servant :  but 
I  am  slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue. 
S2  27 


210  LECTURES  ON 

"And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Who  hath  made  man's  mouth  ? 
or  who  maketh  the  dumb,  or  deaf,  or  the  seeing,  or  the  blind  ? 
have  not  I  the  Lord  ? 

"  Now  therefore  go;  and  I  will  be  with  thy  mouth,  and  teach  tliee 
what  thou  shalt  say»?  *. 

"  And  he  said,  O  my  Lord,  send,  I  pray  thee,  by  the  hand  of  him 
whom  thou  wilt  send. 

"  And  the  anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Moses,  and  he 
said,  Is  not  Aaron  the  Levite  thy  brother  ?  I  know  that  he  can 
speak  well.  And  also,  behold,  he  cometh  forth  to  meet  thee,  he 
seeth  thee,  he  will  be  glad  in  his  heart. 

"  And  thou  shalt  speak  unto  him,  and  put  words  in  his  mouth : 
and  I  will  be  with  thy  mouth,  and  with  his  mouth,  and  will  teach 
you  what  ye  shall  do. 

"  And  he  shall  be  thy  spokesman  unto  the  people  :  and  he  shall 
be,  even  he  shall  be  to  thee  instead  of  a  mouth,  and  thou  shalt  be 
to  him  instead  of  God." 

The  first  efforts  of  poetick  inspiration  were  those  that  gave  im- 
mortality to  eloquence.  The  different  kinds  of  speakers  are  de- 
scribed by  Homer  with  a  precision  and  beauty  that  has  never  been 
surpassed  ;  like  the  productions  of  the  Grecian  chisel,  they  remain 
as  models  to  this  day.  All  religions  have  been  promulgated  and 
supported  by  eloquence ;  even  ours,  which  descended  from  heaven, 
was  preached  with  tongues  of  fire,  the  miraculous  gift  of  its  author. 
Error  has  been  propagated  by  eloquence ;  Mahomet  was  the  most 
eloquent  man  of  his  race,  and  composed  his  Koran  in  the  choicest 
verses  of  a  lovely  literature. 

A  passion  for  eloquence  is  not  confined  to  civilized  man.  The 
sons  of  the  forest  are  as  fond  of  it  as  the  best  cultivated  minds  in 
polished  life.  Indian  history  is  full  of  the  passion  for  eloquence. 
The  speech  of  Logan  is  only  a  common  specimen  of  their  capacity 
for  high  attainments  in  the  noble  art. 

When  the  Winnebagoes  had  a  deputation  at  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment last  year,  the  interview  between  them  and  the  President  of 
the  United  States  was  conducted  with  great  ceremony.  After  sit- 
ting a  while  in  the  audience  chamber,  the  most  aged  chief,  then 
ninety  years  old,  bald  headed,  with  his  manly  arms  and  chest 
bare,  arose  and  advanced  to  the  president;  in  a  few  words  he 
stated  the  object  of  his  visit,  and  his  happiness  in  finding  the  great 
father  of  his  people  so  kind  and  good,  but  should  speak  but  little, 
but  leave  the  details  and  exemplifications  of  the  mission  they 
were  sent  on,  to  the  orator  of  the  tribe.  The  aged  chief  retired 
with  great  dignity  ;  the  signal  given,  the  orator  advanced  ;  he  was 
of  fine  size  and  noble  proportions.  He  stood  an  almost  naked 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  211 

bust,  and  extending  his  arm,  said,  that  he  was  not  a  chief  by  birth, 
but  was  made  one  by  the  fame  of  his  talents,  and  by  the  power  of 
his  eloquence.  He  was  a  warrior  who  had  never  committed  a 
crime,  nor  sunk  to  any  meanness,  or  ever  told  a  falsehood.  His 
whole  demeanour  was  full  of  grave  dignity,  and  solemn  serenity. 
After  this  interview,  even  the  aged  chief,  who  had  kept  sober  before, 
joined  in  a  most  riotous,  drunken  frolick,  while  the  speaker  kept 
himself  from  the  errors  of  his  brethren,  and  retired  from  the  scene, 
to  preserve  the  honours  of  a  Winnebago  orator. 

Eloquence  was  the  great  engine  by  which  Tecumseh  rose  to 
power.  He  was  one  of  three  brothers  at  a  birth.  The  Indians  of 
his  native  tribe,  as  well  as  those  of  most  other  tribes,  have  a  super- 
stitious dread  of  such  prolifick  mothers.  They  consider  more 
than  one  at  a  birth  as  an  omen  of  famine,  and  the  mother  with  her 
children  are  banished ;  but  by  a  wise  direction  of  providence,  the 
evil  is  in  some  degree  neutralized  by  the  impression  on  the  savage 
mind,  that  the  tribe  who  receive  the  fugitives  will  prosper  for  their 
kindness.  The  three  boys  were  brought  up  together,  and  were 
most  affectionate  to  each  other ;  being  strangers,  as  it  were,  among 
those  with  whom  they  lived,  made  them  unite  most  closely  in  all 
their  plans.  One  of  them  fell  in  an  attack  at  Nashville.  Tecum- 
seh tried  his  powers  as  an  orator,  and  succeeded  most  admirably ; 
his  brother  had  not  the  natural  gifts  for  one,  or  it  was  not  politick 
to  have  two  orators  in  one  tribe,  still  he  must  do  something  for 
family  aggrandizement ;  and  with  a  most  admirable  reach  of 
thought,  Tecumseh  made  him  a  prophet,  and  was  among  the 
first  who  professed  to  believe  in  his  inspirations ;  he  preached  them 
every  where,  seemed  to  be  guided  by  them,  and  keeping  the  pro- 
phet as  much  veiled  as  possible,  promulgated,  himself,  the  wonders 
of  coming  time  ;  only,  however,  as  a  mouth  piece.  It  succeeded  to 
a  charm,  indeed.  It  was  Indian  eloquence  that  gave  Indian  pro- 
phecy its  influence  ;  for  it  has  degenerated  to  mummery  since  that 
eloquence  has  ceased.  By  eloquence  this  mighty  savage  collected 
his  followers  and  made  them  steadfast  friends,  who  were  ready  to 
pour  out  their  blood  at  his  command.  By  his  eloquence  he  made 
those  of  different  tribes,  naturally  jealous  of  each  other,  partizans, 
warriors,  devotees,  or  whatever  he  pleased.  There  was  a  charm 
about  this  orator  of  the  wilderness  that  Demosthenes  and  Cicero 
never  had  ;  he  was  as  brave  as  eloquent,  as  mighty  hi  deeds  as  in 
words.  The  bravery  of  the  great  orators  of  antiquity,  has  been 
questioned,  and  they  laid  no  claim  to  a  double  portion  of  the  Win- 
nebagoe's  veracity. 

Eloquence  is  almost  as  various  in  its  character  as  personal  ap- 
pearance ;  yet  so  many  of  its  striking  points  are  general,  that  we 


212  LECTURES  ON 

can  describe  it  by  considering  a  few  classes  of  orators.  The  first 
of  these  orders  of  eloquence,  and  the  most  charming  of  all  of  them, 
may  be  called  social  eloquence ;  that  which  is  under  the  patronage 
of  the  household  gods;  the  eloquence  of  the  fireside,  and  the  draw- 
ing-room ;  all  that  belongs  to  the  charities  and  pleasant  associations 
of  life.  The  language  of  ordinary  instruction;  of  joyous  festivity; 
of  gayety ;  of  reproof,  anger,  and  of  love  itself,  belongs  to  this  order. 
It  is  more  practised  than  studied ;  and  has  more  influence  over  the 
affairs  of  men  than  all  the  other  kinds  put  together ;  but  it  is  so 
unambitious  in  its  fonns,  that  we  are  not  aware  of  its  force,  or 
elegance.  There  is  no  hour  that  it  is  not  wanted,  and  every  little 
domestic  circumstance  requires  it.  It  sweetens  the  morning  be- 
verage, and  spices  the  evening  posset ;  it  sparkles  in  every  glass, 
and  beams  from  every  eye ;  and  if  it  cannot  turn  water  to  wine,  as 
in  the  miracle,  it  can  give  to  wine,  as  it  is  poured  into  the  cup,  a 
Falernian  ripeness,  that  a  voyage  round  the  world  would  not  effect. 

The  next  class  is  the  lowest  order  of  publick  speaking-;  and  is 
the  most  common,  and,  in  most  things  of  a  publick  nature,  is  indis- 
pensable. It  consists  in  the  capacity  and  skill  of  arranging  one's 
thoughts  in  a  fair  manner;  and  of  spreading  them  in  good  language 
before  an  audience.  This  grade  of  elocution  is  found  in  the  courts 
of  justice,  the  halls  of  legislation,  and  in  all  publick  business  places. 
It  is  as  much  as  a  great  proportion  of  publick  speakers  aspire  to, 
and  perhaps  as  much  as  most  of  them  could  attain  in  the  ordinary 
pursuits  of  life. 

The  next  grade  is  the  former,  with  the  additional  power  of  ex- 
citing more  than  an  ordinary  interest  in  the  subject  under  discus- 
sion, by  happy  arrangement,  earnest  delivery,  with  the  power  of 
now  and  then  striking  a  chord  of  the  heart  with  a  master  hand,  or 
throwing  a  flash  of  unexpected  light  upon  every  listener,  and 
adding  to  all  this  a  striking  ingenuity  in  evading  difficulties,  and 
seizing  favourable  opportunities  of  impressing  important  points. 
A  knowledge  of  human  nature  is  a  necessary  ingredient  in  this 
order  of  eloquence.  Men  are  creatures  of  feeling,  passion,  preju- 
dice, and  caprice,  as  well  as  of  reason  and  of  judgement,  and  must 
be  studied  to  be  controlled  or  influenced  by  the  publick  speaker. 
Every  portion  of  our  country  is  blessed  by  the  possession  of  such 
men,  who  hold  a  commanding  station  in  society;  and  particularly 
if  they  have  added  to  this  grade  of  eloquence,  moral  virtue  and 
high  intellectual  acquirements;  and  the  very  possession  of  this 
talent  presupposes  a  highly  t  respectable  advancement  in  the  various 
branches  of  knowledge.  This  class  of  speakers  take  the  lead  in  all 
ordinary  business  in  the  courts  of  justice,  and  in  deliberative  bodies. 
In  all  our  state  legislatures  some  dozen  or  two  of  these  men  may 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  213 

be  seen,  visit  them  when  you  will,  full  of  matter,  and  one  or  more 
of  them  you  will  find  engaged  in  the  courts  in  every  important 
cause  of  litigation.  These  are  what  our  fathers  used  to  call  "good 
commonwealth's  men;"  for  business  is  safe  in  their  hands.  They 
are  too  intelligent  for  demagogues  or  dupes,  and  are  not  often 
inordinately  ambitious.  The  lesser  men  are  those  who  run  the 
scrub  race  of  popularity,  and  jostle  each  other  from  the  course, 
assuming  much  consequence,  but  possessing  little  merit. 

The  last  and  highest  order  of  eloquence  is  susceptible  of  many 
subdivisions ;  more,  perhaps,  than  the  inferior  grades  ;  but  it  must 
contain  all  that  is  valuable  in  those  inferior  grades,  with  a  greater 
grasp  of  thought  and  more  ample  stores  of  knowledge.  This  high 
and  commanding  power  is  inconsistent  with  petty  views  and  ab- 
sorbing selfishness.  To  give  it  all  its  influence,  there  must  be  some- 
thing in  it  of  the  apostle's  purity  and  the  prophet's  fire.  It  is 
confined  to  no  place,  nor  to  any  class  of  men.  It  blazes  in  the  pul- 
pit and  illumines  the  court  room,  but  it  is  not  confined  to  them  or 
to  the  halls  of  legislation.  The  true  orator  wants  not  place  to 
give  him  inspiration;  wherever  he  moves,  the  oracle  goes  with 
him.  A  stone  or  stump  will  answer  for  a  tripod,  and  to  him  the 
common  air  is  full  of  Delphick  incense. 

There  can  be  no  lack  of  opportunity  for  acquiring  and  displaying 
eloquence  in  this  country.  There  are  in  the  United  States  twenty- 
four  state  legislatures,  consisting  of  more  than  one  hundred  and 
fifty  members  to  each  body,  on  an  average.  These  deliberative 
assemblies  are  in  session  for  more  than  two  months  in  each  year, 
and  engaged  in  matters  of  consequence  to  the  publick  ;  in  softening 
the  hard  features  of  the  common  law,  or  providing  for  internal 
improvements,  chartering  banks,  or  creating  other  corporations  for 
publick  institutions,  guided  by  private  individuals.  Many  of  these 
subjects  create  warm  debates,  for  pecuniary  interest  is  quite  as  wide 
awake  as  ambition,  and  often  something  of  both  is  found  in  such 
discussions  ;  local  policy  and  private  interest  often  give  a  piquancy 
and  spirit  to  publick  speaking,  that  no  general  impressions  of  duty 
can  give. 

Our  civil  and  criminal  tribunals  are  so  many  forums  of  eloquence, 
and  much  business  is  done  in  them.  There  are  at  least  thirty  thou- 
sand verdicts  of  juries  returned  yearly  in  all  our  courts,  and  many 
of  them  involve  matters  of  deep  interest,  either  of  a  publick  or 
private  nature ;  and  when  to  these  are  added  all  the  other  opportu- 
nities in  equity,  arbitrations,  &c.,  what  excuse  have  we  for  not  ma- 
king good  speakers  ?  And  these  are  not  the  only  schools  of  elo- 
quence, for  there  is  not  a  cattle  show  had,  or  a  bridge  built,  but 
affords  a  chance  for  a  speech  or  two.  Meetings  for  political  pur- 


214  LECTURES  ON 

poses  are  constantly  convened  for  the  selection  of  candidates  for 
state  assemblies  or  Congress,  and  harangues  are  made  on  these 
occasions  without  stint.  Charity,  too,  has  her  train  of  orators, 
and  her  style  of  elocution,  she  strikes  the  chords  of  the  heart  with 
an  hundred  hands,  and  sometimes  "  creates  a  soul  under  Hie  ribs 
of  death." 

Her  sister,  Religion,  besides  her  half  million  sermons  and  lectures 
each  revolving  year,  at  the  altar,  has  also  her  numerous  associa- 
tions for  diffusing  light  and  knowledge,  which  call  forth  some  ex- 
quisite strains  of  eloquence. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  judge  of  American  eloquence,  altogether, 
from  the  speakers  in  Congress  ;  but  most  foreigners  seem  to  think 
that  in  that  body  is  concentrated  all  the  knowledge  and  eloquence 
of  the  country.  Congress,  undoubtedly,  has  its  share  of  good 
speakers,  but  no  monopoly  of  them. 

It  has  often  been  remarked  in  England,  that  the  literary  men 
who  visit  the  house  of  lords  or  commons  but  occasionally,  are 
disappointed  in  the  eloquence  of  the  speakers.  It  is  so  with  those 
who,  from  abroad,  or  from  various  parts  of  our  country,  visit  Wash- 
ington to  hear  the  debates  in  Congress.  This  is  very  natural,  for 
they  can  seldom  give  a  rational  account  of  their  anticipations ;  for 
distance,  the  imposing  nature  of  a  national  legislature,  and  the  recol- 
lection of  the  great  men  who  flourished  in  that  body,  and  some 
knowledge  of  the  great  men  who  are  now  members  of  it,  fill  the 
mind  with  lofty  but  undefined  impressions  respecting  the  eloquence 
of  such  an  assembly.  But  we  must  look  at  this  body  closely  to  get 
at  the  truth;  a  single  glance  will  mislead  us;  we  must  look  at  it  in 
its  elements.  To  take  any  ordinary  day's  business  for  a  criterion 
of  talent  in  Congress,  would  be  egregiously  wrong.  The  slovenly 
and  careless  air  of  some  would  mislead,  and  the  great  zeal  of  others, 
personally  interested,  could  hardly  be  accounted  for  upon  any 
principle  of  patriotism.  There  is  a  greater  diversity  of  interests 
than  of  minds  in  such  a  body,  and  to  judge  of  them  fairly,  one 
must  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  them,  and  also  with  the  course 
of  business.  To  reason  correctly  upon  our  national  legislature, 
we  must  go  to  the  elements  of  which  it  is  composed.  It  has  been 
called  the  great  Amphyctionick  council;  but  the  parallel  runs 
but  a  little  way.  It  was  not  modelled  on  it,  but  decidedly  on  the 
British  Parliament,  and  is  governed  by  the  fundamental  rules  of 
that  body. 

Forty  years  only  have  elapsed  since  the  adoption  of  the  federal 
constitution.  There  were  then  but  thirteen  states  to  form  a  com- 
pact ;  there  are  now  twenty-four  in  it.  In  these  forty  years  there 
have  been  in  both  branches  of  the  national  legislature,  seventeen 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  215 

hundred  and  twenty-two  members;  twelve  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  of  them  in  the  house  of  representatives,  from  the  old  states, 
and  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  from  the  new  states  without 
the  limits  of  the  old  territory ;  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  sena- 
tors of  the  old  states,  and  seventy-nine  from  the  new  ones,  making, 
in  the  whole,  the  first  mentioned  number  of  seventeen  hundred  and 
seventy-two.  Perhaps  it  would  be  gratifying  to  some  to  see  the 
numbers  belonging  to  the  several  states:  Maine  has  had,  to  the 
close  of  the  nineteenth  Congress,  fourteen  representatives,  and  two 
senators;  New-Hampshire  fifty-eight  representatives,  and  seven- 
teen senators;  Vermont,  forty-five  representatives,  and  fourteen 
senators ;  Massachusetts,  one  hundred  and  forty-three  representa- 
tives, and  nineteen  senators ;  Rhode  Island,  nineteen  representatives, 
and  seventeen  senators ;  Connecticut,  fifty-five  representatives,  and 
fourteen  senators ;  New- York,  two  hundred  and  fifty-five  represen- 
tatives, and  twenty-one  senators ;  New-Jersey,  fifty-four  represen- 
tatives, and  nineteen  senators;  Pennsylvania,  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  representatives,  and  fifteen  senators ;  Delaware,  fifteen 
representatives,  and  seventeen  senators ;  Maryland,  eighty-five  re- 
presentatives, and  seventeen  senators ;  Virginia,  one  hundred  and 
forty-six  representatives,  and  twenty-two  senators ;  North  Carolina, 
one  hundred  and  two  representatives,  and  twelve  senators ;  South 
Carolina,  seventy-six  representatives,  and  thirteen  senators ;  Geor- 
gia, forty-five  representatives,  and  twenty  senators ;  Kentucky,  six- 
ty representatives,  and  twenty  senators;  Tennessee,  thirty-eight 
representatives,  and  eighteen  senators  ;  Ohio,  thirty-six  representa- 
tives, and  thirteen  senators ;  Louisiana,  six  representatives,  and  nine 
senators;  Illinois,  five  representatives,  and  four  senators;  Missis- 
sippi, seven  representatives,  and  five  senators ;  Missouri,  five  rep- 
resentatives, and  two  senators ;  Indiana,  nine  representatives,  and 
four  senators ;  Alabama,  four  representatives,  and  five  senators. 
There  have  been  nine  delegates  from  the  several  territories.  Some 
few  have  been  counted  twice  in  the  foregoing  estimation,  when 
they  had' come  to  Congress  the  second  time,  after  an  interval  of 
years.  These,  probably,  are  not  so  many  as  there  were  new  ones 
returned  for  the  twentieth  Congress.  All  these  have  had  a  hand 
in  making  our  code  of  laws,  which  has  grown  up  within  the  last 
forty  years.  This  body  has  contained,  in  the  worst  of  times,  a  very 
considerable  number  of  men  of  talents  and  integrity,  who  have 
laboured  for  their  country's  weal.  But  a  small  portion  of  the 
names  of  the  whole  number,  however,  will  go  down  to  posterity  as 
orators  and  statesmen. 

The  constant  changes  in  these  legislative  bodies,  and  the  very 
considerable  number  of  persons  in  them,  though  certainly  not  very 


216  LECTURES  ON 

large,  diminishes  individual  responsibility,  and  is  one  of  the  causes 
•  of  those  agitations  which  arise  in  every  Congress.  Old  members 
are  desirous  of  keeping  up  their  hard-earned  distinction,  and  new 
men  are  fierce  to  become  conspicuous  ;  the  latter  let  off  their 
arrows,  to  show  the  nation  with  what  vigour  they  can  bend  the 
bow ;  but  it  frequently  happens,  that  after  a  few  ineffectual  efforts, 
many  of  them  are  heard  of  no  more. 

The  subjects  before  congress  are  not  often  of  great  importance, 
but  merely  matters  of  our  own  domestic  relations,  for  we  have  but 
little  legislating  on  foreign  relations.  Local  questions,  on  which 
some  little  sectional  interest  or  opinion  turns,  often  excite  more 
attention  than  those  of  great  magnitude  to  the  nation.  It  is  such 
questions  as  these  that  call  up  the  fire,  and  not  unfrequently  cause 
to  flow  all  the  venom  of  party.  Many  young  members  think  they 
must  send  their  constituents  a  speech  now  and  then,  for  a  two-fold 
reason,  to  show  them  that  they  are  of  some  consequence  at  Wash- 
ington, and  to  secure  their  next  election  ;  and  it  will  not  be  denied 
by  any  man  of  honesty,  sagacity,  and  experience,  that  much  of  the 
time  of  Congress  is  taken  up  in  effecting  this  object. 

A  high  standard  of  eloquence  is  expected  of  this  body ;  but  there 
are  many  reasons  operating  against  making  or  finding  a  great  many 
first  rate  speakers  in  Congress.  In  the  first  place,  the  hall  of  re- 
presentatives is  too  large  for  easy,  natural  speaking.  The  sweetest 
and  richest  tones  of  the  human  voice  are  often  those  of  small  com- 
pass and  volume.  In  such  an  immense  space  as  is  contained  with- 
in the  walls  of  that  hall,  delicate  voices  are  but  faintly  heard,  or 
entirely  drowned ;  and  when  the  voice  is  not  distinctly  heard,  the 
audience,  whether  spectators  or  members,  after  a  few  painful  strug- 
gles to  hear,  give  it  up  ;  and  probably  by  locomotion  or  by  conver- 
sation, prevent  those  from  hearing  who  might  have  caught  some- 
thing of  the  argument,  if  a  profound  silence  among  the  audience 
had  reigned  in  the  room.  The  bold  and  full  mouth  speakers,  by 
putting  forth  ah1  their  strength  of  lungs,  may,  sometimes,  be  heard 
by  most  of  the  members ;  but  then  these  vociferating  and  stentorian 
efforts  seem  to  be  giving  only  a  wordy  energy  to  the  subject,  and 
magnifying  trifles  by  the  power  of  sound.  Emphasis,  which  should 
oe  used  only  as  discriminating  one  part  of  a  sentence  from  another, 
is,  in  this  hall, used  merely  to  be  heard.  There  is,  to  an  enlightened 
mind,  something  almost  ludicrous  in  hearing  a  man  detailing  com- 
mon place  matters,  and  pronouncing  plain  maxims,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder.  The  voice  raised  to  the  highest  pitch,  has  no  proper  in- 
flexions, cadences,  or  euphony,  and  often  not  any  measure,  but  goes 
on  in  that  monotonous,  screamy  manner,  so  offensive  to  all  who 
have  cultivated  ears.  The  house  of  commons  bears  no  proper- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  217 

tion  in  point  of  size  to  this  hall ;  yet  it  is  made  to  accommodate 
six  hundred  and  fifty-eight  members,  and  here  there  are  but  two 
hundred  and  sixteen,  all  told. 

So  much  for  the  house ;  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  busi- 
ness of  Congress  affords  but  few  of  those  displays  of  eloquence  we 
have  heard  of  in  deliberative  assemblies.  The  general  business  of 
legislation  is  dull,  and  requires  only  attention ;  for  these  occasions 
the  members  make  no  preparation,  and  of  course  produce  but  little 
effect.  A  spectator  in  the  gallery  hears  the  broken  echoes  of  the 
voice,  oftener  than  the  natural  tones  of  it ;  and  he  soon  grows  tired, 
if  not  disgusted,  with  the  subject  and  the  speaker.  By  a  continu- 
ance of  these  evils,  the  publick  are  disposed  to  give  up  their  expec- 
tations of  hearing  speeches,  on  common  occasions,  remarkable  for 
elegance  in  language,  or  happy  in  delivery.  They  turn  to  the  pa- 
pers for  speeches,  and  these  again  deceive  them  ;  for  there  is  not 
one  speech  out  of  twenty  given  to  the  publick  as  they  are  delivered. 
The  reporter,  according  to  custom,  is  bound  to  make  the  orator 
talk  good  English,  at  least,  and  say  nothing  absurd,  if  nothing  very 
smart ;  while  the  speaker  very  often  pays  no  regard  to  rules  in  the 
delivery.  The  highest  grade  of  American  elocution,  therefore,  is 
not  to  be  looked  for  in  the  house  of  representatives,  except  upon 
particular  occasions,  and  from  those  who  do  not  often  gratify  the 
publick  with  a  speech.  "  The  high  and  palmy  state"  of  American 
eloquence,  was  during  the  first  ten  years  of  the  forty  since  the  adop- 
tion of  the  constitution.  The  causes  of  its  falling  off  are  obvious.  The 
time  then  was  not  wasted  on  trivial  subjects  and  personal  bickerings ; 
there  was  business  to  be  done,  and  they  set  about  it  in  good  earnest ; 
and  when  proper  opportunities  occurred  for  eloquence,  it  was  found  of 
a  manly,  vigorous,  classical  order.  They  were  well  educated  men, se- 
lected for  their  intelligence  and  character  among  their  fellow  citizens. 
Let  it  not  be  understood  that  we  think  that  our  present  Congress  is 
wanting  in  talent,  or  in  information.  No ;  we  are  as  well  aware  as 
any  can  be,  that  our  national  legislature  abounds  in  men  gifted  by 
nature,  and  imbued  with  learning  ;  men  who,  on  all  great  occasions, 
come  forward  and  show  the  depth  of  their  resources,  and  their  power 
of  investigation,  and  exhibit  integrity,  talent,  and  eloquence,  sufficient 
to  redeem  the  reputation  of  any  body  of  men,  and  to  wipe  thestain  from 
the  national  escutcheon ;  men  by  the  light  of  whose  minds  we  have 
been  illumined,  and  by  whose  virtuous  and  exalted  feelings  we  have 
been  warmed  and  enamoured.  These  are  the  hope  of  their  country, 
the  salt  of  the  land  ;  but  who  are  aroused  only  on  great  occasions, 
and  will  not  enter  into  all  the  pitiful  squabbles  of  the  day,  nor  con- 
tend with  ignorance  and  vulgarity  for  the  mastery  in  the  race  for 
popularity.  Mighty  minds  are  seldom  profuse  of  effort,  or  hasty  in 
T  28 


218  LECTURES  ON 

conflicts;  they  wait  until  the  occasion  demands,  and  the  subject 
justifies  an  interposition. 

No  country  on  earth  has  ever  laboured  harder  to  make  orators 
than  our  own.  In  addition  to  the  fifty-three  colleges,  where  clas- 
sical educations  are  given,  there  are  hundreds  of  minor  institutions 
in  which  every  rule  of  rhetorick  is  committed  to  memory ;  and 
every  student  can  give  you  all  the  maxims,  from  Blair,  Campbell, 
and  others,  necessary  to  make  an  orator;  can  tell  you  when  to  ex- 
tend the  arm,  balance  the  body,  raise  the  eyes,  quicken  the  ut- 
terance, elevate  the  voice,  and  all  the  other  golden  rules  to  build  up 
a  Demosthenes  or  a  Chatham.  We  have  had  most  of  the  great 
dramatick  actors  from  Europe  to  teach  us  ;  to  those  of  our  mother 
tongue  we  have  paid  great  attention,  from  Hodgkinson  to  Macrea- 
dy.  Fennel  came  to  teach  us  to  read,  Ogilvie  to  speak;  and 
teachers  have  swarmed  upon  our  shores,  and  we  have  followed 
them,  and  paid  them  extravagant  sums  for  years,  for  instruction  ; 
but  our  eloquence  is  not  much  benefited  by  all  this.  Our  canons 
of  criticism,  no  doubt,  have  been  multiplied,  and  our  taste  grown 
more  fastidious  by  all  their  precepts  and  examples ;  but  for  all  this, 
our  great  orators  have  not  increased  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  publick  speakers.  It  may  be  asked,  "  do  you  mean  to  infer  that 
ah1  these  rules  and  criticisms  are  of  no  advantage  to  the  youthful 
aspirant  in  elocution  ?"  We  do  not  say  this ;  but  we  do  say,  that 
all  the  rules  in  the  world  will  not  alone  make  an  orator.  The  seeds 
of  eloquence  are  sown  while  on  the  maternal  bosom,  and  are  de- 
veloped with  the  first  powers  of  utterance.  It  is  taught  in  the  nursery, 
in  the  primary,  secondary,  as  well  as  in  the  high  schools.  It  consists 
in  the  education  of  the  human  voice,  together  with  the  human  mind. 

All  property  that  comes  down  to  us  from  our  ancestors  receives 
the  name  of  patrimony,  as  coming  from  our  fathers,  and  as  acquired 
and  maintained  by  them,  except  our  language,  the  most  noble  of 
ah1  things  we  inherit,  and  this  is  called  our  mother  tongue— &  just 
and  beautiful  compliment  to  maternal  instruction.  It  goes  to  say, 
that  the  elements  of  our  language  are  acquired  before  the  father's 
care  begins.  How  much  more  sweet  and  noble  is  this  term,  our 
mother  tongue,  than  that  of  vernacular  language.  The  origin 
of  the  latter  is  mean,  compared  with  the  former,  notwithstanding 
its  classical  decent.  A  verna  was  a  bondman  or  bond-woman  among 
the  Romans  of  the  class  of  the  Nothi,  who  were  household  slaves, 
but  had  certain  rights,  which  could  not  be  taken  from  them.  The 
verna?,  from  whence  vernacular,  were  instructed  in  all  the  niceties 
of  the  Latin  language,  in  order  to  teach  the  children  the  vernacular 
in  its  purity.  The  value  of  these  bondmen,  or  nursery  maids,  was 
in  proportion  to  their  knowledge  of  their  language,  and  the  use  of 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  219 

a  chaste,  easy,  colloquial  style  of  conversation.  It  was  the  duty  of 
these  men  and  women  to  see  that  the  legitimate  children  should 
acquire  no  bad  habits,  while  they  were  writing  the  first  words  of 
their  vocabulary  on  their  memories.  If  the  infant  has  good  exam- 
ples in  speaking,  the  child  correct  precepts  in  reading  and  speaking, 
and  the  youth  is  in  constant  habits  of  attention  to  his  language,  in 
all  the  common  affairs  of  life,  and  with  this,  is  careful  to  improve 
his  mind,  he  is  an  orator,  without,  perhaps,  knowing  it.  Con- 
nexions and  associations  have  as  much  to  do  with  the  tones  of  the 
human  voice  as  with  our  cast  of  thinking  and  reasoning ;  hence 
professional  pronunciation,  provincial  accents,  and  many  other  pe- 
culiarities that  vitiate  the  correct  and  elegant  use  of  our  language. 
We,  probably,  have  much  less  of  this  provincialism  than  any  other 
people. 

Eloquence  must  be  the  voice  of  mind,  or  it  is  nothing.  The  full 
mind  will,  in  excitement,  find  utterance,  and  communicate  its 
knowledge.  Mental  energies  will,  in  the  end,  overcome  most  phy- 
sical defects.  The  voice  of  an  empty  declaimer,  however  mellifluous, 
soon  becomes  offensive ;  the  impassioned  soul  will  find  a  tongue, 
and  the  dictates  of  an  enlightened  understanding  correct  its  voice. 

There  are  some  specimens  of  written  eloquence  in  the  annals  of 
the  first  century  of  our  country,  that  have  come  down  to  us,  with 
the  traditions  of  the  manner  in  which  they  were  spoken,  which 
strictly  corresponds  with  the  spirit  of  the  composition.  Such  are 
some  of  Cotton  Mather's  sermons,  and  an  earlier  effort  of  Governor 
Winthrop. 

Eloquence  was  in  that  age  confined  chiefly  to  the  pulpit,  as  the 
magistrates  had  not  many  opportunities  for  a  display  of  their  ora- 
tory in  the  desultory  business  of  their  courts ;  but  when  church  was 
entirely  separated  from  state,  opportunities  grew  more  frequent 
in  the  legislative  assemblies,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that 
there  was  much  spirited  debate  in  the  questions  of  state  policy 
which  were  constantly  occurring  in  the  several  provinces.  -The 
numerous  discussions  upon  furnishing  men  and  supplies  for  Cana- 
dian and  Indian  wars ;  the  manner  of  managing  the  campaign  ;  as 
well  as  many  minor  matters,  were  all  subjects  which  called  forth  the 
eloquence  of  our  ancestors;  and  one  versed  in  the  minute  history  of 
the  early  times,  will  often  see  in  obituary  notices,  in  funeral  sermons, 
and  private  letters,  observations  and  epithets  which  afford  him  much 
information  respecting  the  style  of  eloquence  in  that  age,  and  of 
the  men  who  were  conspicuous  as  speakers.  Of  one,  it  was  said,  that 
tie  was  a  Boanerges,  and  he  thundered  on  his  opposers ;  of  another, 
that  he  was  silver-tongued,  and  pleased  every  body ;  and  of 
another,  that  he  was  a  host  in  himself,  and  if  you  did  not  wish 


220  LECTURES  ON 

to  follow  him,  you  must  shut  your  ears  when  he  was  talking. 
In  truth,  they  were  eloquent,  for  they  were  engaged  in  matters  of 
importance  to  themselves,  had  "  the  motive  and  the  cue  to  action," 
without  any  poverty  of  words.  The  whole  meaning  of  the  maxim, 
that  free  governments  are  favourable  to  eloquence,  is  only,  that 
intelligent  men  are  found  there,  and  dare  say  what  they  think  in 
strong  language ;  and  this  boldness  gives  to  all  that  proceeds  from 
their  lips,  point  and  force. 

We  have  said  something  of  the  eloquence  of  those  who  reasoned 
the  mass  of  the  people  into  the  opposition  to  the  mother  country ; 
but  it  was  said  in  so  general  a  manner,  that  we,  perhaps,  may  be 
indulged  in  selecting  a  few  of  the  individuals  who  were  distinguish- 
ed in  those  days,  and  since  ;  not  that  these  we  may  select  are  the 
"  twentieth  of  a  tithe"  of  those  who  took  a  part  in  the  debates 
upon  the  countless  questions  of  right,  and  duty,  and  policy  of  our 
proceedings  during  the  time  we  were  growing  into  a  nation  ;  but  a 
few  may  be  brought  forward  to  show  the  style  and  manner  of  the 
most  conspicuous  of  them.  Some  of  them  have  lived  to  the  days 
of  the  lecturer,  and  their  manner  is  fresh  in  his  recollection.  Of 
those  he  never  heard,  he  forms  his  opinions  upon  the  concurrent 
testimony  of  good  judges,  who  have  often  heard  them  speak,  and 
the  reports  of  their  speeches  that  have  come  down  to  us. 

Patrick  Henry,  of  Virginia,  was  a  natural  orator,  as  some  gifted 
speakers  are  called,  whose  eloquence  seems  spontaneous,  and  is 
impassioned  and  free  from  the  trammels  of  rules.  It  is  said  that 
he  was  a  self-educated  man,  whose  manner  was  his  own,  and  was 
blessed  with  the  power  of  utterance  beyond  most  of  those  who 
had  been  taught  in  the  groves  of  the  academy.  He  felt  deeply  and 
made  others  feel.  His  flashes  of  eloquence  gave  an  electrick  shock 
to  the  audience ;  and  these  were  managed  with  great  skill,  and 
repeated  at  his  will ;  or  by  some  sudden  transition,  he  let  down  his 
hearers  to  a  common  tone  of  feeling,  by  the  most  felicitous  illustra- 
tions or  playful  similes.  He  was,  however,  more  powerful  in 
raising  apprehensions  than  in  allaying  them.  His  eloquence  was 
supported  by  his  patriotism,  and  what  in  the  warmth  of  debate  he 
said  he  would  do,  he  followed  up  in  the  coolness  of  reflection ; 
and  if  not  as  powerful,  was  as  fearless  with  his  sword  as  with  his 
tongue.  His  eloquence  was  not  elaborate,  nor  his  speeches  long.  His 
audience  easily  understood  him,  and  his  speech  was  ended  before 
any  part  of  them  were  tired  of  hearing  him.  His  patriotism  and 
his  eloquence  have  had  ample  justice  done  them  by  his  learned 
biographer. 

Another  of  the  same  state,  Mr.  Madison,  exhibited  a  different 
style  of  eloquence.  He  had  no  passion,  no  majesty  of  tone,  no 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  221 

vehement  gestures,  nothing  of  that  war-horse  spirit  of  his  co- 
adjutor, Patrick  Henry;  his  was  the  smooth,  but  manly  cur- 
rent of  thought.  It  was  philosophy,  reasoning  upon  rights,  and 
explaining  duties,  and  teaching  his  hearers  how  to  prepare  for 
exigencies.  He  saw  all  things  in  a  clear  light,  without  enthusiasm 
or  agitation.  His  speaking  resembled  his  writing :  his  lines  were 
all  straight,  his  letters  uniformly  made,  his  spelling  accurate,  and 
his  punctuation  perfect.  He  was  never  off  his  guard ;  but  sell- 
possessed,  he  spoke  until  he  was  satisfied  that  he  was  fully  under- 
stood, and  then  he  left  his  arguments  to  work  out  their  proper 
effect,  without  showing  any  anxiety  for  himself  or  them  ;  perhaps 
there  was  never  a  man  who  spoke  so  often,  that  spoke  so  much  to 
the  purpose  as  Mr.  Madison.  His  eloquence  was  one  of  those  deep, 
silent,  regular  flowing  rivers,  that  has  no  narrows,  shoals,  or  cata- 
racts, but  winds  its  way  in  peace  and  dignity  to  the  ocean.  He 
possessed  such  an  equanimity  of  temper,  that  he  was  always  ready 
for  debate,  and  always  acquitted  himself  well ;  and  if  he  did  not 
rise  so  high  in  his  eloquence,  at  times,  as  those  who  wait  for  inspi- 
ration, he  never,  like  them,  was  liable  to  disappoint  his  hearers  by 
inane  voices,  when  the  spirit  ceased  to  agitate  them.  Mr.  Madison 
is  still  living,  the  Nestor  among  orators. 

The  eloquence  of  the  patriot  John  Adams  was  altogether  different 
from  either  of  these  men.  His  mind  was  full  of  classick  learning, 
and  his  soul  for  ever  animated  with  political  prophecies,  and  his 
heart  was  in  his  mouth.  He  came  to  his  subject  sword  in  hand, 
and  carried  his  purposes  by  storm  rather  than  by  siege.  He  saw 
his  object  clearly,  and  came  to  it  directly.  There  were  no  Ionian 
blandishments  in  his  style ;  no  Corinthian  beauties  ;  use,  durability, 
and  strength,  were  the  components  of  his  elocution.  When  he 
spoke,  the  timid  grew  brave,  and  the  cunning  fled,  for  they  knew 
he  would  cut  the  Gordian  knot  without  wasting  his  time  to  show 
his  ingenuity  by  untying  it.  His  imagination  was  never  diseased 
by  evil  forebodings;  he  declared  that  America  ought,  could,  and 
would  be  free.  To  this  he  at  all  times  came  directly,  without  ad- 
mitting contingencies  or  calculating  upon  misfortunes.  He  knew 
the  character  of  the  people,  and  he  trusted  in  it  for  the  result  He 
suggested  to  his  native  state,  more  than  a  year  before  the  declara- 
tion of  independence,  the  propriety  of  attacking  the  enemy  in  the 
vitals,  by  seizing  their  property  on  the  high  seas.  The  project  was 
astounding  even  to  his  brave  countrymen;  and  one  of  his  compeers, 
in  that  dark  hour  when  it  was  made  known,  has  often  told  me  that 
he  never  should  forget  the  time,  the  subject,  the  manner,  or  the 
man.  Adams  declared  that  the  glory  of  America  was  to  be  on  the  seas ; 
and  with  more  than  Delphick  eloquence  raised  his  voice  for  wooden 
T2 


222  LECTURES  ON 

walls.  The  naval  glories  of  the  world  came  up  in  intense  visions 
to  his  mind,  and  he  knew,  by  an  every  day  observation,  that  the 
mariners  of  his  country  had  the  bone  and  muscle,  the  heart,  the 
skill,  and  the  indomitable  courage,  to  make  "  their  home  upon  the 
deep."  Not  a  voice  in  the  legislature  was  raised  against  his  plans ; 
and  every  old  cannon  that  was  embedded  in  the  clay,  or  secured  as 
a  highway  corner-post,  started  from  its  quietude,  and  was  harnessed 
on  some  frail  barque  for  the  sea-fight.  Was  not  this  eloquence  De- 
mosthenian?  It  perhaps  wanted  something  of  the  Athenian  polish, 
but  it  had  the  true  effect. 

The  eloquence  of  Alexander  Hamilton  differed  from  all  the  pre- 
ceding orators  we  have  named.  He  arose  deeply  impressed  with 
his  subject ;  and  often,  in  the  onset,  seemed  a  little  agitated,  a  slight 
tinge  of  modesty  crossed  his  cheek,  but  it  was  only  the  fear  of  him- 
self, the  only  fear  a  man  of  genius  and  of  learning  can  ever  have, 
when  master  of  his  subject.  He  made  as  few  points  in  his  case  as 
possible,  stated  these  in  a  clear  and  forcible  manner,  and  spread 
them  before  the  assembly,  court,  or  jury,  with  great  perspicuity  and 
elegance.  He  never  descended  below  the  dignity  of  argument  to 
catch  popular  applause,  nor  ever  suffered  himself  to  be  borne  away 
from  the  course  of  his  reasonings  by  irritation  or  passion.  There 
was  temperance,  method,  and  judgement  in  all  his  speeches ;  and 
when  he  closed,  there  was  nothing  to  mend,  and  but  little  to  add. 
But  the  great  charm  of  his  eloquence,  after  all,  was  the  conviction, 
in  every  mind,  of  the  speaker's  sincerity ;  there  was  a  window  in  his 
breast,  and  all  the  pulses  of  his  heart  were  distinctly  seen,  beating 
in  the  regular  movements  of  honour.  His  eloquence  was  fascina- 
ting as  well  as  commanding ;  his  person  was  not  large,  but  dignified 
and  graceful.  The  compass  of  his  voice  was  extensive  ;  its  tones 
were  not  loud  or  vociferating,  but  his  enunciation  was  so  clear  that  he 
had  the  advantage  over  many,  in  the  largest  assemblies,  whose  lungs 
were  much  stronger  than  his.  No  one,  whatever  might  be  his  grade 
of  intellect,  ever  heard  him  without  delight ;  and  no  good  judge, 
without  feeling  that  he  had  been  listening  to  a  gentleman,  a  scholar, 
and  a  patriot,  as  well  as  an  orator.  He  died  in  the  prime  of 
manhood ;  and  the  tears  of  his  friends  and  political  enemies  trickled 
together  on  his  grave,  as  a  tribute  to  the  mighty  dead. 

Gouverneur  Morris  was  a  splendid  orator.  His  mind  was  prolifick, 
his  fancy  excursive,  and  his  information  extensive.  He  had  read 
books  attentively,  but  men  more  thoroughly.  He  was  well  ac- 
quainted with  French  literature  and  the  academicians,  and  had 
caught  something  of  their  animation  and  literary  fervour.  His 
figures  were  beautiful,  his  sentimental  touches  delicate  and  thrilling. 
No  orator  ever  made  a  more  successful  lunge  at  the  heart  than  Mor- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  223 

ris,  for  he  pierced  at  will.  If  Hamilton  was  the  Zenophon  among 
our  intellectual  lights,  as  he  has  been  called,  for  the  neatness,  purity, 
and  perspicuity  of  his  productions,  surely  his  friend,  Gouverneur 
Morris,  ought  to  be  called  the  Isocrates  among  them.  He  had  the 
same  splendour  of  imagination,  and  poised  his  sentences  with  the 
same  art,  that  is  seen  in  the  orations  of  "  the  old  man  eloquent." 
Morris's  eloquence  was  well  suited  to  the  deliberative  assembly,  and 
to  those  occasions  in  which  the  heart  is  deeply  interested.  His  ora- 
tion over  the  body  of  Hamilton  is  admirable.  At  that  moment,  when 
the  bleeding  corse  was  before  the  eyes  of  his  countrymen,  and  a 
nation's  moans  were  wafted  on  every  wind,  from  north  to  south,  from 
east  to  west,  through  the  country ;  when  almost  any  extravagance 
would  have  been  tolerated  in  this  paroxysm  of  mind ;  for  at  this 
event  the  deep  lamentations  of  the  soul  were  commingled  with  the 
breath  of  execration,  and  there  is  no  wild-fire  like  this ;  yet  then 
the  pathos  of  the  orator  was  subdued,  chastened,  and  harmonized 
to  the  mild  and  hallowed  doctrines  of  Christianity : — such  exhibi- 
tions are  the  triumphs  of  the  god-like  art,  of  controlling  tempers, 
and  of  conquering  hearts. 

He  lived  in  republican  struggles ;  in  the  sunshine  of  royalty ;  in 
the  uproar  of  popular  fury ;  and  then  in  the  calm  of  personal  safety 
and  national  tranquillity ;  and  from  all  drew  lessons  of  experience, 
and  through  all  carried  the  sound  discretion  of  a  high-minded  man. 

Fisher  Ames  has  been,  perhaps,  more  celebrated  as  an  orator  than 
any  other  American,  except  Patrick  Henry;  but  it  is  not  our  object 
to  make  comparisons  between  our  distinguished  men  who  have 
graced  the  annals  of  our  eloquence.  The  person  of  Ames  was  tall, 
thin,  and  interesting ;  his  face  was  not  what  might  be  called  hand- 
some, but  agreeable,  and  full  of  soul.  The  style  of  his  eloquence 
was  flowing,  warm,  and  copious,  and  certainly  partook  more  of  the 
Roman  than  of  the  Grecian  orator.  His  manner  was  bland,  but 
earnest,  and  his  whole  demeanour  calculated  to  attract  the  attention 
of  all  eyes.  His  voice  was  musical,  and  he  had  the  command  of  it 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  note,  and  in  all  its  variations  it  was  free 
from  monotony  or  false  tone ;  for  a  sweet  voice,  he  had  less  of  sibi- 
lation  than  most  of  our  orators,  an  evil  that  foreigners  complain  of  in 
our  language.  His  imagination  was  creative,  and  at  his  bidding 
new  scenes  arose,  new  beings  lived,  increased  as  he  chose,  and  faded 
away  at  his  will.  He  struck  his  hand  across  the  chords  of  the  hearts 
of  his  audience,  and  all  was  harmonious  to  his  touch ;  but  his  plain- 
tive measures  were  most  congenial  to  his  mind ;  he  had  nothing 
dark  or  sullen  in  his  constitution,  but  there  was  a  soft  and  gentle 
gloom  that  often  intermingled  with  the  light  of  his  mind,  which 
gave  the  shade  of  the  sanctuary  to  the  outpourings  of  his  heart. 


224  LECTURES  ON 

He  mourned  to  think  that  he  could  not  fully  impress  on  the  minds 
of  others  what  he  foreboded  for  his  country  ;  the  common  fault  of 
a  sensitive  patriot.  The  diseases  of  his  corporal  frame  entered  deeply 
into  his  mind ;  and  amid  troublesome  times  he  mingled  dark  augu- 
ries for  the  nation.  He  saw,  hi  his  imagination,  the  myrmidons 
of  France  sweeping  over  his  country  with  rapine,  fire,  and  dagger, 
and  the  conflagration  of  cities  filled  his  eyes,  and  the  screams  of 
ravished  virgins  his  ears.  His  countrymen  seemed  to  him  in  a 
state  of  amazing  apathy,  and  he  grew  almost  frantick  at  the  thought ; 
but  he  mistook  their  cool,  brave,  and  persevering  character,  for  want 
of  discernment  and  feeling.  His  warning  appeals,  as  he  thought 
them,  were  all  wasted  on  the  winds,  although  every  one  listened  to 
him  with  profound  respect  and  admiration.  His  friends  and  neigh- 
bours flocked  around  him,  as  a  being  of  wonderful  powers  and  su- 
periour  sagacity ;  but  from  their  habits  of  reasoning  for  themselves, 
they  thought  that  all  these  evils  might  not  come,  and  they  would 
wait  the  providence  of  God  in  this  as  in  other  things ;  but  the  ho- 
nour and  honesty  of  the  great  man  they  never  doubted,  for  he  was 
to  them  an  angel  of  light ;  crowded  with  all  his  gloomy  thoughts 
for  his  country,  he  sunk  to  the  grave ;  but  his  admirers  never  lost 
one  particle  of  their  veneration  for  the  genius  and  virtues  of  the  man. 
No  man  has  a  higher  claim  than  Samuel  Phillips  to  that  solemn 
eloquence  which  was  formerly  common  in  New-England,  but  is 
now  nearly  extinct ;  and  which  was  a  union  of  the  dignity  of  the 
eloquence  of  the  magistracy,  and  the  sanctity  of  that  usual  in  the  ec- 
clesiastical council.  Mr.  Phillips  was  for  twenty  years  president  of 
the  senate  of  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  man 
of  sterling  integrity,  of  scrupulous  exactness,  and  of  religious  so- 
lemnity ;  he  possessed  a  strong  mind,  had  a  good  share  of  classical 
taste,  and  a  thorough  early  education.  In  speaking,  his  enuncia- 
tion was  slow,  but  not  in  the  least  drawling ;  his  emphasis  and 
cadence  were  admirable.  He  never  rose  to  speak  until  he  had 
fully  matured  his  subject,  and  when  he  did,  all  were  attentive. 
Point,  maxim,  inference,  and  conclusions,  followed  with  such  order, 
and  such  strength  of  argument,  that  he  never  spoke  without 
making  a  deep  impression,  and  seldom  was  on  the  unsuccessful 
side  of  a  question.  I  have  no  belief  that  there  are  many  speeches, 
or  even  skeletons  of  speeches,  of  his  in  print.  There  are  several 
articles  from  his  pen  in  the  Massachusetts  state  papers.  Among 
other  things,  there  is  an  address  of  the  legislature  of  the  common- 
wealth of  Massachusetts  to  John  Adams,  on  his  return  to  his  resi- 
dence in  Quincy,  after  the  election  of  Mr.  Jefferson  to  the  presi- 
dency of  the  United  States.  This  is  an  elegant  production,  full  of 
both  dignity  and  affection ;  and  all  writings  that  are  known  to  be 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  225 

his  are  of  a  high  character,  as  well  in  point  of  composition,  as  in 
spirit  and  matter. 

Samuel  Dexter  was  another  of  our  orators,  who  was  the  great 
man  of  his  day.  Every  epithet  of  praise  was  lavished  on  his  elo- 
quence. He  was  indeed  a  strong  man.  His  frame  was  colossal, 
his  features  prominent  and  marked.  There  were  no  nice  graces, 
no  delicate  finishings  about  him  as  an  orator.  His  voice  was  heavy, 
his  enunciation  slow,  and  his  manner  generally  cool ;  and  even 
when  he  was  disturbed,  it  was  rather  the  swell  of  the  ocean,  than 
the  dash  of  the  torrent.  Like  Pinckney,  he  was  equally  distin- 
guished at  the  bar  and  in  the  deliberative  assembly,  and  was  con- 
stantly engaged  in  one  or  the  other.  Mr.  Dexter  was  in  Congress 
in  stormy  times,  and  fearlessly  took  his  course.  From  the  Con- 
gress he  was  made  a  member  of  the  cabinet  of  President  Adams, 
continued  a  while  with  his  successor,  and  from  that  office  he  re- 
turned again  to  the  bar.  Here  it  was  thought  by  many  that  he 
was  without  a  rival  as  an  advocate.  He  never  did  any  thing  by 
trick  or  cunning.  In  every  argument  he  took  the  lion  by  the  mane, 
and  brought  strength  to  match  strength,  and  put  the  mastery  upon  the 
trial  of  superiour  power  ;  and  no  one  will  venture  to  say  thai  he  had 
inferiour  intellects  to  contend  with.  He  practised  in  an  enlightened 
community,  and  had  to  struggle  with  those  who  wore  polished  ar- 
mour, and  bore  fearful  weapons,  and  used  them  with  knightly  skill. 
Yet,  if  not  always  victorious,  he  was  never  broken  down  by  supe- 
riour  energy,  but  kept  himself  ready  for  the  combat.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  of  such  a  man  there  should  be  so  little  remaining — 
not  a  whole  political  speech,  not  a  full  argument  of  his,  in  any 
case,  can  be  found  in  print,  and  probably  does  not  exist  any  where, 
in  manuscript  or  memory. 

Pinckney  was  truly  a  great  man — a  lawyer,  a  statesman,  a  diplo- 
matist, an  orator,  and,  withal,  a  scholar.  Feeling  the  fire  of  genius 
kindling  up  within  him,  he  broke  from  the  common  high  road  of  busi- 
ness, and  sought  the  paths  of  professional  learning,  against  the  sug- 
gestions of  the  prudent,  and  the  advice  of  the  sagacious.  He  con- 
quered one  province  after  another  in  the  regions  of  science  and 
letters ;  and  went  up  with  the  unquenchable  thirst  of  a  great  mind 
to  drink  of  the  springs  of  knowledge,  not  satisfied  with  the  tainted 
currents  as  they  flowed  onwards  through  the  world.  He  gave 
ample  proofs,  if  any  were  wanting,  that  the  highest  cultivation  of 
taste  and  imagination  is  consistent  with  profound  research  and 
sound  judgement ;  that  ornament  was  not  incompatible  with 
strength ;  and  that  even  the  temple  of  the  law  might,  notwithstand- 
ing its  gothick  structure,  be  susceptible  of  elegance  and  high  finish. 
29 


226  LECTURES  ON 

His  genius  was  not  more  lofty  than  versatile.    It  might  have  been 
said  of  him  as  of  the  fifth  Harry : 

"  Hear  him  debate  of  commonwealth  affairs, 

You  would  say,  it  hath  been  all  in  all  his  study ; 

List  his  discourse  of  war,  and  you  shall  hear 

A  fearful  battle  rendered  you  in  musick ; 

Turn  him  to  any  course  of  policy, 

The  gordian  knot  of  it  he  will  unloose, 

Familiar  as  his  garter ;  that  when  he  speaks, 

The  air,  a  chartered  libertine,  is  still ; 

And  the  mute  wonder  lurketh  in  men's  ears 

To  steal  his  sweet  and  honeyed  sentences." 

The  spaces  he  filled  at  the  bar,  in  the  senate,  and  as  a  foreign 
minister,  were  all  great  indeed.  If  he  sometimes  found  equals,  he 
had  no  superiours,  and  his  country  and  his  clients  placed  their 
interests  in  his  hands  with  the  fullest  confidence  that  he  would  do 
all  the  case  would  admit  of;  and  who  could  do  more  1  He  never 
spared  himself  in  any  efforts  required  for  his  client's  interest,  and 
he  went  on  day  by  day  performing  Herculean  labours  in  the  court, 
until  nature,  not  early,  but  untimely,  sunk  under  them.  His  elo- 
quence was  of  the  highest  grade,  but  not  faultless.  His  audible 
whispers  and  his  tremendous  bursts  were  well  enough  in  him,  for 
he  threw  intellect  into  everything,  even  into  manner ;  and  his  voice 
was  never  harsh  or  dissonant.  This  habit  in  his  imitators  is  shock- 
ing ;  they  are  unequal  to  riding  the  great  horse.  Pinckney  died  at 
Washington,  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  at  the  bar  of  the  supreme 
court  of  the  United  States.  He  was  buried  in  the  publick  grave- 
yard, on  the  eastern  branch  of  the  Potomack,  about  a  mile  and  a 
half  from  the  capitol,  in  Washington.  The  lonely  traveller,  as  he 
gazes  on  the  monument,  calls  to  his  recollection  how  lately  this 
heap  of  dust  was  the  centre  of  attraction!  How  few  days  have 
elapsed  since  bevies  of  beauties  hung  enamoured  on  his  accents,  and 
strewed  flowers  in  his  path !  They  make  no  visits  now,  with  re- 
turning seasons,  to  this  spot,  in  honour  of  the  shade  of  this  once 
gifted  orator !  Some  other  idol,  perhaps,  has  arisen,  and  the  paeans 
they  sung  are  forgotten ;  or  perhaps  these  very  votaries  of  fashion, 
whose  smile  of  approbation  was  fame,  have  also  passed  away,  with- 
out historian  or  poet.  The  records  of  fashion,  notwithstanding  the 
omnipotence  of  her  reign,  are  written  in  fading  ink,  and  soon  become 
illegible.  Over  the  spot  where  repose  the  ashes  of  the  dead,  hang 
the  scales  in  which  the  mighty  deeds  of  men  are  weighed  !  How 
eloquent  is  the  silence  of  the  grave. 

We  might  go  on  to  name  a  great  number  of  men  justly  styled 
orators,  who  have  passed  from  the  stage  of  action  within  less  than 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  227 

twenty  years  past ;  but  our  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  proceed ;  not 
meaning  simply  to  include  the  second  class  of  the  good  business 
speakers,  but  only  those  of  unquestionable  superiority ;  and  I  think 
no  candid  man  will  hesitate  to  say,  that  our  community  has  been 
prolifick  in  those,  compared  with  any  other  people.  It  has  been 
said,  by  the  Baron  de  Sainte  Croix,  that  from  the  commencement 
of  the  thirteenth  century  to  that  of  the  third  before  Christ,  Athens 
did  not  produce  more  than  fifty-four  distinguished  orators  and 
rhetoricians.  We  have  had  many  more  than  that  number  within 
half  a  century. 


LECTURE  XIII. 


I  would  I  were  a  Poet,  and  could  write 

The  passag-e  of  this  mighty  world  in  rime, 
And  talke  of  warres,  and  many  a  valiant  fight, 
And  how  the  Captaines  did  to  honour  clime ! 
Of  wise  and  faire,  of  gratious,  virtuous,  kinde, 
And  of  the  bounty  of  a  noble  minde. 

NICHOLAS  BRETON. 

To  HAVE  a  fair  and  just  view  of  the  mind  which  has  been  active 
in  the  affairs  of  our  country,  ever  since  it  had  an  existence,  we  must 
look  at  her  military  and  naval  characters,  as  well  as  to  her  literary 
and  scientifick  men :  in  fact  they  are,  in  our  time,  intimately  connected. 
In  every  stage  of  our  growth,  we  have  had  to  struggle  with  hardships 
of  an  extraordinary  nature.  These  exertions  gave  a  hardihood  to 
the  people,  which  could  not  have  been  acquired  in  days  of  peace  and 
prosperity.  We  will  pass  over  those  military  characters,  John 
Smith  and  Miles  Standish— heroes  of  such  prowess,  that,  if  they  had 
lived  in  some  other  ages  of  the  world,  would  have  had  temples  erect- 
ed to  their  memories — and  proceed  to  trace,  with  rapid  hand,  some  of 
the  wars  in  which  the  colonies  were  involved,  from  their  infancy  up 
to  the  present  time.  The  colonies  classed  their  wars  under  the  fol- 
lowing names :  When  the  country  of  the  Indians  at  war  with  them 
was  without  their  grants,  they  called  it  a  war,  in  the  common  bccep- 


228  LECTURES  ON 

tation  of  the  term ;  but  if  within  their  grants  and  without  their  settle- 
ments, they  called  it  an  interruption ;  but  if  within  their  settlements, 
they  called  it  a  rebellion  ;  hence  the  term  so  often  used,  rebel  Indi- 
ans :  some  of  their  bloodiest  wars  were  of  this  description. 

In  1634,  the  Pequods,  a  powerful  nation  of  Indians,  killed  Capts. 
Stone  and  Norton,  traders  in  their  country ;  this  gave  the  colonies 
the  alarm.  In  1636,  Lords  Say  and  Brook  erected  a  fort  near  the 
head  quarters  of  the  Pequods,  which  so  incensed  them,  that  they  con- 
tinued their  massacres,  until  the  people  of  Connecticut  found  it  ne- 
cessary to  make  a  war  of  extermination  upon  this  tribe  of  Indians  in 
their  neighbourhood.  Previous  to  this  period,  the  colonies  of  New- 
England  had  associated  for  self-defence,  and  had  made  a  league  with 
the  six  Narragansett  sachems.  The  Narragansetts  were  not  friendly  to 
the  Pequods,  and  entered  at  first  into  this  war  with  alacrity.  In  May, 
1637,  a  body  of  seventy  men,  with  sixty  Connecticut  river  Indians, 
with  two  hundred  Narragansetts,  and  one  hundred  Nianticks,  a  settle- 
ment of  the  Pequods  in  friendship  with  the  colonists,  and  twenty 
men  from  the  garrison  of  Say-Brook,  under  the  command  of  Capt. 
Mason,  with  their  friends  from  Massachusetts,  consisting  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty-three  men  under  Mr.  Staughton,  and  fifty  from 
the  old  colony,  in  three  months  cut  up  the  Pequods,  destroying 
about  seven  hundred  of  them,  and  only  left  about  two  hundred  re- 
maining, who  were  soon  scattered  among  the  tribes,  and  lost  their 
name  and  sovereignty.  They  were  fierce  and  brave,  but  fought  gene- 
rally with  bows  and  battle  axes,  not  having  as  yet  procured  many  fire 
arms.  The  colonists  lost  a  considerable  number  of  men  in  these 
engagements,  and  had  a  still  greater  number  wounded. 

In  1654,  the  Narragansetts  made  war  on  the  Indians  on  Long 
Island,  but  the  confederates  soon  suppressed  these  hostilities.  In 
New-England  there  was  peace  from  this  time  until  1675,  when  Philip, 
son  of  Massasoit — the  father  had  been  in  friendship  with  the  whites 
for  fifty  years — commenced  hostilities  upon  them.  He  had  concei- 
ved the  design  of  exterminating  the  colonists  at  a  blow.  For  this  pur- 
pose, he  covered  his  designs  in  the  most  artful  manner  by  a  treaty,  in 
1671.  Philip  was  a  savage  of  the  first  order  of  intellect.  He  saw 
that  his  people  were  wasting  away  before  the  growing  power  of  the 
white  men,  and  that  if  a  great  effort  was  not  made  to  destroy  them,  it 
would  soon  be  too  late.  He  had  for  many  years,  during  the  life  time 
of  his  father,  been  brooding  over  the  fate  of  his  country,  and  the  vi- 
sions of  futurity  grew  strong  before  his  eyes ;  he  meditated  upon 
what  he  saw,  and  silently  determined  on  his  course.  His  council 
probably  were  not  apprized  of  the  extent  of  his  plan,  which  was  to 
form  a  confederacy  of  the  tribes  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Missis- 
sippi ;  and  so  secretly  did  he  proceed  on  his  journey  to  carry  this  in- 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  229 

to  effect,  that  it  was  not  for  many  months  after  his  departure  that  the 
nearest  colonists  to  Mount  Hope,  this  sachem's  usual  place  of  resi- 
dence, knew  or  suspected  his  absence.  The  extent  of  his  journey 
will  probably  never  be  traced ;  but,  from  the  numerous  tribes  of  In- 
dians he  soon  stirred  up  to  make  common  cause  with  him,  it  must 
have  been  very  great.  The  system  was  one  worthy  of  the  most  sa- 
gacious statesman  of  any  age.  Philip  began  his  war  himself,  by  kill- 
ing nine  whites,  in  June,  1675.  This  exploit  was  the  signal  for  the 
commencement  of  hostilities  from  the  confederates.  The  plan  was 
so  well  digested,  that  it  would  have  succeeded  if  Philip  had  not  been 
surrounded  by  traitors.  The  colonists  were  apprized  of  the  designs 
of  the  alliance  by  friendly  Indians,  and  made  such  arrangements  as 
enabled  them,  in  a  great  measure,  to  cut  up  these  foes  in  detail,  before 
they  could  make  a  simultaneous  movement.  The  elements  were  also 
against  the  aboriginal  warrior.  There  was  quite  a  Russian  winter 
in  the  year  1675  and  6,  and  the  eastern  Indians  were  obliged  to  sue 
for  peace,  as  they  were  unable  to  fight  and  procure  food  at  the  same 
time.  This  was  granted  them ;  but  by  the  genial  influence  of  spring, 
and  the  powerful  arguments  of  Philip,  they  renewed  hostilities  as 
soon  as  their  sufferings  were  over.  On  the  12th  of  August,  1676,  Philip 
was  slain  by  one  of  the  friendly  Indians,  and  this  formidable  alli- 
ance was  soon  broken  and  destroyed.  The  colonists  had  strained 
every  nerve  to  raise  troops,  to  make  a  powerful  impression  at  the  on- 
set. Governor  Winslow,  the  second  governor  of  that  name,  had 
made  a  campaign  the  previous  winter  with  one  thousand  colonists 
and  five  hundred  friendly  Indians,  and  killed  seven  hundred  of  the 
enemy,  with  the  loss  of  eighty-five  men,  and  an  hundred  and  fifty 
wounded.  Winslow  was  a  judicious  commander,  and  performed 
his  duties  with  great  spirit  and  bravery ;  but  Col.  Church,  of  Little 
Compton,  was  in  truth  the  hero  of  this  war.  He  was  pressing 
hard  upon  Philip  for  some  days  before  the  chieftain  was  slain. 
Church's  son  wrote  an  account  of  the  war  in  which  his  father  was 
engaged ;  a  very  plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  his  exploits,  which  has 
lately  been  republished  by  Dr.  Drake,  of  Boston,  with  copious  notes, 
of  great  research  and  interest.  Church  lived  many  years,  and  was, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  last  century,  engaged  in  Indian  warfare 
in  his  old  age. 

There  was  not  a  village  which  did  not  suffer  by  the  attacks  of  the 
Indians,  and  many  of  them  extremely.  The  assailants  would  often 
conceal  themselves  whole  weeks  in  ambush,  to  wait  for  the  absence 
of  the  men,  and  then  attack  defenceless  women  and  children.  Many 
instances  of  female  heroism  are  on  record,  which  occurred  in  that 
day,  and  should  be  carefully  preserved.  Among  the  most  conspicu- 
ous was  that  of  Mrs.  Hannah  Duston,  of  Haverhill,  a  pleasant  village 
U 


230  LECTURES  ON 

situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Merrimack.  On  the  15th  of  March, 
1698,  Mrs.  Duston  was  made  prisoner  by  a  party  of  Indians.  She 
was  on  this  day  confined  to  her  bed  by  sickness,  attended  by  her 
nurse,  Mary  Niff.  Seven  children,  besides  a  female  infant  six  days 
old,  were  with  her.  As  soon  as  the  alarm  was  given,  her  husband 
sent  away  the  seven  children  towards  the  garrison-house ;  by  which 
time  the  Indians  were  so  near,  that,  despairing  of  saving  the  others  of 
his  family,  he  hastened  after  his  children,  on  horseback.  This  course 
was  advised  by  his  wife.  She  thought  it  was  idle  for  her  to  attempt 
to  escape.  A  party  of  Indians  followed  him,  but  the  father  kept  in 
the  rear  of  the  children,  and  often  firing  on  his  pursuers,  he  kept  them 
back,  and  was  enabled  to  reach  the  garrison  with  his  children  in  safe- 
ty. The  Indians  took  Mrs.  Duston  from  her  bed,  and  carried  her  off, 
with  the  nurse  and  infant ;  but  finding  the  little  one  becoming 
troublesome,  they  took  her  from  her  mother's  arms  by  force,  and 
dashing  her  against  a  tree,  ended  her  moans,  and  miseries,  and  life 
together.  The  mother  had  followed  the  Indians  until  this  moment 
with  faultering  steps  and  bitter  tears,  thinking  on  the  fate  of  herself, 
her  babe,  and  her  other  children.  After  this  horrid  outrage,  she 
wept  no  more ;  the  agony  of  nature  drank  the  tear-drop  ere  it  fell. 
She  looked  to  heaven  with  a  silent  prayer  for  succour  and  ven- 
geance, and  followed  the  infernal  group  without  a  word  of  com- 
plaint. At  this  instant,  the  high  resolve  was  formed  in  her  mind, 
and  swelled  every  pulse  of  her  heart.  They  travelled  on  some  dis- 
tance :  as  she  thought,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  but,  perhaps, 
from  the  course  they  took,  about  seventy-five.  The  river  had  pro- 
bably been  broken  up  but  a  short  time,  and  the  canoes  of  the  Indi- 
ans were  above  the  upper  falls,  on  the  Merrimack,  when  they  com- 
menced their  journey  to  attack  Haverhill.  Above  these  falls,  on  an 
island  in  this  river,  the  Indians  had  a  wigwam,  and  in  getting  their 
canoes  in  order,  and  by  rowing  ten  miles  up  the  stream,  became 
much  fatigued.  When  they  reached  the  place  of  rest,  they  slept 
soundly.  Mrs.  Duston  did  not  sleep.  The  nurse,  and  an  English 
boy,  a  prisoner,  were  apprized  of  her  design ;  but  were  not  of  much 
use  to  her  in  the  execution  of  it.  In  the  stillness  of  the  night  she 
arose  and  went  out  of  the  wigwam  to  test  the  soundness  and  security 
of  savage  sleep.  They  did  not  move :  they  were  to  sleep  until  the 
last  day.  She  returned,  took  one  of  their  hatchets  and  dispatched 
ten  of  them  in  a  moment,  each  with  a  single  blow.  An  Indian  wo- 
man who  was  rising  when  she  struck  her,  fled  with  her  probable 
death-wound ;  and  an  Indian  boy  was  designedly  spared ;  for  the 
avenger  of  blood  was  a  woman,  and  a  mother,  and  could  not  deal  a 
death-blow  upon  a  helpless  child.  She  surveyed  the  carnage  ground 
by  the  light  of  the  fire  which  she  stirred  up  after  the  deed  was  done  j 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  231 

and  catching  a  few  handfuls  of  roasted  corn,  she  commenced  her 
journey  ;  but  on  reflecting  a  moment,  she  thought  the  people  of  Hav- 
erhill  would  consider  her  tale  as  the  ravings  of  madness,  when  she 
should  get  home,  if  ever  that  time  might  come ;  she  therefore  return- 
ed, and  scalped  the  slain ;  then  put  her  nurse  and  English  boy  into 
the  canoe,  and  with  herself  they  floated  down  to  the  falls,  when  she 
landed,  and  took  to  the  woods,  keeping  the  river  in  sight,  which  she 
knew  must  direct  her  on  the  way  home.  After  suffering  incredible 
hardships  by  hunger,  cold,  and  fatigue,  she  reached  home,  to  the  sur- 
prise and  joy  of  her  husband,  children,  and  friends.  The  general 
court  of  Massachusetts  examined  her  story,  and  being  satisfied  of 
the  truth  of  it,  took  her  trophies,  the  scalps,  and  gave  her  fifty 
pounds.  The  people  of  Boston  made  her  many  presents.  All  classes 
were  anxious  to  see  the  heroine ;  and  as  one  of  the  writers  of 
that  day  says,  who  saw  her,  "she  was  a  right  modest  woman.'* 
Has  Anacharsis  or  Mitford,  in  their  histories  of  Greece,  any  thing  to 
surpass  this  well  authenticated  story  ?  Her  descendants  in  a  right 
line  and  by  the  same  name,  are  now  living  where  she  was  captured. 
The  Indian  tribes,  at  this  period,  had  assistance  from  the  French 
in  their  several  attacks  upon  the  settlements,  in  1688  to  1699,  and 
from  1703  to  1713,  as  well  as  afterwards.  About  the  year  1717,  the 
Indians  on  Kennebeck  river  began  to  show  a  disposition  to  quarrel ; 
but  hearing  that  the  small  pox  was  prevalent  among  the  whites, 
they  were  deterred  from  any  very  open  attacks.  The  small  pox 
was,  in  fact,  very  general  in  1721,  but  in  1722,  when  it  had  abated, 
Lieut.  Governor  Dummer,  acting  as  commander-in-chief,  sent  Capt. 
Harmon  with  an  hundred  men,  in  whale  boats,  up  the  Kennebeck, 
and  surprised  the  Indians  at  Norridgewock.  Several  of  the  Nor- 
ridgewocks  were  killed,  and  with  them  father  Ralle,  a  pious  catho- 
lick  priest.  He  was  sacrificed  at  the  altar,  while  performing  mass. 
This  required  no  justification  in  that  period,  but  the  act  seems  to 
want  one  now,  and  that  I  am  not  prepared  to  make ;  but  our  fa- 
thers did  not  require  many  excuses  from  Indian  killers;  and  perhaps 
we  are  apt  to  find  fault  with  them,  without  considering  that  if  the 
Indians  had  not  been  exterminated,  the  English  must  have  been. 
It  was  very  clear  to  every  mind,  that,  as  they  viewed  each  other, 
they  could  not  exist  together.  In  May,  1724,  was  Lovewell's  fight, 
which  has  been  mentioned  before  by  us  in  these  lectures.  This 
event  has  been  commemorated  both  in  verse  and  prose.  After  the 
Pequod  war,  Connecticut  had  not  much  trouble  from  the  Indians, 
but  they  were  ever  ready  to  assist  their  neighbours  when  called 
upon.  There  had  existed  from  the  first  a  readiness  to  assist  each 
other,  a  principle  which  grew  out  of  the  common  danger,  and  which 
now  can  hardly  be  understoood,  except  by  those  who  have  felt  the 


232  LECTURES  ON 

dread  of  a  savage  foe  coming  in  upon  their  wives  and  children  with 
indiscriminate  massacre.  During  these  struggles  of  New-England 
for  her  existence,  several  of  the  other  colonies  were  grievously  an- 
noyed. 

In  Virginia,  the  Indians  had  been  troublesome  from  the  first  set- 
tlement, at  Jamestown.  In  1610,  the  colony  of  Virginia  was  redu- 
ced from  five  hundred  to  eighty.  From  1612  they  kept  in  peace  until 
1622,  chiefly  by  the  good  conduct  of  Capt.  Smith,  and  a  few  of  his 
associates.  In  the  year  1622,  the  Indians  murdered  three  hundred 
and  forty-seven  in  one  day,  in  Virginia.  Harvey's  arbitrary  course 
in  encroaching  upon  the  Indian  territories,  caused  another  insur- 
rection in  1639,  in  which  five  hundred  of  the  colonists  were  slain. 
While  Philip's  war  wqs  raging  at  the  north,  Bacon  was  rousing  up 
the  Indians  to  oppose  the  government  of  Governor  Berkley,  for 
pretty  much  such  a  course  as  Harvey  had  pursued.  In  1711,  the 
Cape  Fear  Indians  of  North  Carolina,  made  war  on  that  colony,  and 
after  destroying  about  twenty  families,  Avere  quelled  by  troops  from 
Virginia  and  South  Carolina  coming  to  their  aid.  The  Virginians 
and  Carolinians  were  never  wanting  in  chivalry. 

Up  to  this  time,  and  in  all  the  wars  we  have  mentioned,  the  mo- 
ther country  did  not  help  a  finger  to  assist  us  in  fighting  our  enemies. 
They  left  their  dear  children  to  shift  for  themselves,  until  it  was 
found  quite  convenient  to  fight  France  on  our  continent,  and  then  a 
deep  interest  was  taken  by  the  British  ministry  in  the  success  of 
our  affairs  with  the  natives. 

These  wars  with  the  Indians  we  have  enumerated,  were  not  the 
only  wars  in  which  the  colonies  were  engaged.  In  1690,  Col. 
Phipps,  as  Douglass  calls  him,  was  fitted  out  by  New-England  with 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  men,  to  attack  the  French  settlement  at  Aca- 
die ;  and  he  took  Port  Royal,  which  was  held  until  1697,  when  En- 
gland gave  it  to  France.  This  year  also,  1690,  Phipps  made  an  attack 
upon  Canada  with  a  considerable  force ;  one  thousand  colonists  and 
fifteen  hundred  Indians  were  to  proceed  to  take  Montreal,  but  did  not ; 
and  the  naval  force  met  with  some  disasters  in  going  and  returning. 
They  began  the  enterprise  too  late  in  the  season,  and  of  course  any  one 
might  have  expected  what  did  happen — a  total  failure  of  obtaining 
the  object  in  view,  with  a  great  loss  of  lives.  Cotton  Mather  gave  a 
great  many  reasons  for  all  the  evils  which  accrued,  but  a  few  short 
ones  would  have  been  more  correct,  viz. :  the  force  sent  and  the 
commanders  of  them  were  unequal  to  the  task;  but  there  never  was 
a  braver  set  of  men  than  those  who  accompanied  Phipps  in  this  un- 
dertaking ;  they  were  of  the  best  blood  of  the  land  ;  virtuous,  hardy, 
persevering,  bold,  independent,  high  spirited  citizens,  who  feared 
God,  and  eschewed  evil,  but  feared  no  danger  by  "flood  or  fire." 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  233 

This  expedition  was  fitted  out  under  the  avowed  intention  of  de- 
fending the  colonies  against  the  French  and  Indians;  but  the  true 
cause  of  the  expedition  might  be  found  in  the  plans  of  the  English 
ministry,  to  do  something  on  this  continent  to  keep  an  equipoise  for 
what  might  be  lost  in  Europe;  and  in  the  vanity  of  Phipps,  who, 
having  performed  one  exploit  with  success,  thought  that  he  was 
born  for  a  conqueror  and  a  statesman. 

In  1710  and  1711,  other  attempts  were  made  on  Quebeck,  but  in  these 
the  ministr}r  were  more  liberal  of  means,  and  did  not  throw  the  bur- 
den wholly  on  the  colonies;  still,  in  this  they  were  heavily  taxed. 
By  an  order  from  the  British  ministry,  a  Congress  was  to  be  assem- 
bled at  New-London,  formed  of  the  governors  of  the  provinces 
north  of  Pennsylvania,  to  concert  measures  with  Nicholson,  an  offi- 
cer of  his  majesty's  army,  at  the  head  of  the  forces  from  England. 
Two  regiments  from  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  New-Hamp- 
shire, were  to  join  the  British  troops  destined  for  an  attack  on  Que- 
beck ;  while  the  militia  from  Connecticut,  New- York,  and  the  Jer- 
seys, with  the  Indians  of  the  five  nations,  were  to  attack  Montreal. 
This  expedition  totally  failed,  with  immense  losses;  and  to  finish  the 
tale  of  disasters,  the  admiral's  ship  blew  up  on  her  homeward  voy- 
age. These  campaigns  were  committed  to  men  unacquainted  with 
the  country,  and  the  best  modes  of  fighting  the  Indians  and  their  al- 
lies, and  were  managed  in  so  open  a  manner,  that  the  French  were 
generally  apprized  of  these  intended  attacks  months  before  the 
forces  for  the  execution  of  them  arrived.  The  colonies  could  at 
any  time  have  taken  Canada,  if  they  had  thought  it  necessary  for 
their  existence ;  but  the  Canadians  and  English  settlers  on  the  At- 
lantick  were  not  jealous  of  each  other ;  nor  unfriendly,  until  the  pa- 
rent country  excited  them  to  hostilities.  Some  of  the  historians  of 
that  day  say,  that  in  this  enterprise  there  were  twenty-three  thou- 
sand men  in  arms,  a  greater  proportion,  according  to  the  number 
of  inhabitants,  than  has  ever  been  since.  In  1744,  a  war  broke  out 
between  France  and  England.  In  January,  1744-5,  the  legislature 
of  Massachusetts,  by  a  majority  of  one  vote  only,  determined  to 
make  an  attempt  on  Louisbourg,  then  called  the  Dunkirk  of  Ame- 
rica, from  the  strength  of  its  fortifications.  The  forces  raised  were 
small  for  the  undertaking,  consisting  of  about  3600  volunteers  from 
Massachusetts,  New-Hampshire,  and  Connecticut,  who  effected  the 
reduction  of  this  strong  hold  with  the  small  loss  of  less  than  two 
hundred  men.  These  troops  were  commanded  by  General  Wil- 
liam PeppereE.  The  others  of  note  in  this  expedition  were  Briga- 
dier General  Waldo,  Cols.  Moulton,  Hale,  Willard,  Richmond,  and 
Gorham,  of  the  infantry,  and  Cols.  Dwight  and  Gridley,  of  the  ar- 
tillery ;  the  latter  of  whom  fell  afterwards  at  the  battle  of  Bunker- 
U  2  30 


234  LECTURES  ON 

hill,  with  Capt.  Barnard,  an  excellent  engineer,  who  had  under  his 
command  a  train  of  expert  and  hardy  artificers,  mostly  ship-car- 
penters, a  profession  to  which  our  country  has  in  every  exigency 
been  much  indebted.  Major  General  Wolcott,  from  Connecticut,  had 
a  force  of  five  hundred  men  who  joined  this  army.  The  colony 
of  Rhode  Island  sent  their  province  sloop,  and  the  government  of 
New-York  sent  them  several  excellent  cannon,  which  proved  of 
incalculable  service  in  the  campaign;  and  several  of  the  govern- 
ments south  of  New- York  made  the  forces  a  present  of  some  pro- 
visions, and  wished  them  God  speed.  Admiral  Warren  joined,  with 
a  considerable  fleet ;  but  nothing  could  have  been  achieved  by  naval 
force  alone.  The  provincials  performed  in  this  enterprise  prodigies  of 
labour :  they  drew  the  heavy  cannon  over  a  morass,  thought,  by  the 
sagacious  French  engineers,  to  have  been  absolutely  impassable,  for 
ordnance  of  any  considerable  weight.  The  provincials  made  sledges 
and  placed  the  cannon  upon  them,  and  in  the  thick  fog,  or  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  dragged  them  to  a  proper  distance  from  the 
walls  to  erect  a  battery.  Some  historians  say  that  the  men  were 
knee  deep  in  the  mire  in  this  work ;  but  a  veteran,  who  served  in  this 
campaign,  once  told  me  that  he  was  engaged  in  this  labour,  and  that  he 
and  his  men  used  the  snow-shoes  which  had  been  provided  for  the 
winter,  and  found  that  they  could  work  well  with  them  on  the  mo- 
rass. The  besieged,  seeing  this  battery  and  other  formidable  prepa- 
rations, capitulated  on  the  17th  of  June,  1745.  This  exploit  has  no 
parallel  in  modern  history.  This  was  glorious  news  in  England ; 
but  the  safety  of  the  colonies  was  put  in  jeopardy  by  it,  for  the  next 
year  the  French  ministry,  sharpened  at  this  unexpected  disaster,  sent 
the  Duke  D'Anville,  with  a  formidable  force,  to  retrieve  it,  and  lay 
waste  the  towns  on  the  seaboard.  The  discomfiture  of  this  ar- 
mada, and  the  death  of  the  admiral,  and  all  the  tales  of  the  pious 
and  superstitious,  are  written  in  the  chronicles  of  that  day,  but  are 
too  long  for  my  purpose.  There  is  one  fact,  however,  which  ought 
never  to  be  forgotten,  which  is,  that  seven  thousand  troops  poured  in 
from  the  country,  at  this  alarm,  to  save  Boston  and  the  neighbouring 
seaports ;  a  wonderful  army,  considering  the  population  of  the  inte- 
rior at  that  day.  Elated  by  the  success  of  the  provincials  and  their 
fleet  in  taking  Louisbourg,  the  English  ministry  were  determined  on 
another  attack  upon  Canada.  By  an  order  from  the  duke  of  New- 
castle, the  secretary  of  state,  the  governors  of  the  North  American 
provinces  were  required  to  raise  as  many  companies,  to  consist  of  an 
hundred  men  each,  as  they  could  spare.  Those  of  New-York,  New- 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia,  to  be  formed  into  a 
corps  to  be  commanded  by  General  Gooch,  then  lieut.  governor  of 
Virginia.  In  obedience  to  this  order,  Virginia  sent  two  companies^ 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  235 

Maryland  three,  Pennsylvania  four,  Jersey  five,  and  New- York  fif- 
teen, making  twenty-nine  companies.  These  were  intended  for 
Crown  Point  and  Montreal.  Massachusetts  Bay  raised  twenty  com- 
panies, Connecticut  ten,  Rhode  Island  three,  New-Hampshire  two, 
making  thirty-five  companies.  These  were  to  join  the  forces  from 
England  against  Quebeck.  From  misunderstanding,  mismanage- 
ments, and  sickness,  this  mighty  preparation  failed.  The  difficul- 
ties in  this  expedition,  as  in  most  undertaken  by  the  mother  country  to 
fight  the  French  in  America,  principally  arose  from  the  disposition  of 
the  regular  troops  to  put  the  greatest  burdens  on  the  provincials, 
and  then  to  claim  all  the  laurels  for  themselves.  This  was  cause 
of  grievous  complaint  at  that  time. 

In  1748,  the  peace  of  Aix  la  Chapelle  was  made,  and  the  fortress 
of  Louisbourg  was  given  up  without  any  regard  to  the  safety  of  the 
colonies,  the  avowed  object  of  the  ministry  in  striving  to  obtain  it. 

In  1755,  while  there  was  yet  a  nominal  peace  between  France 
and  England,  hostilities  were  carried  on  in  this  country  between 
the  colonies,  and  the  Indians  and  French,  assisted  by  troops  from 
England.  There  had  been  no  formal  declaration  of  war,  when 
Dinwiddie,  governor  of  Virginia,  sent  Colonel  Frye  and  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Washington  against  the  French  and  Indians;  in  which 
enterprise  the  latter  was  so  much  distinguished,  that  when  Brad- 
dock  arrived  to  take  the  command  of  all  the  forces  in  this  country, 
he  made  Washington  his  aid.  The  unfortunate  battle  of  Mononga- 
hela,  on  the  9th  of  July,  1755,  in  which  Braddock  was  mortally 
wounded,  has  so  often  been  minutely  narrated,  that  I  will  not 
dwell  upon  it  in  this  place.  Braddock's  fame  has  suffered  in  the 
history  of  his  country  as  well  as  in  ours ;  because  he  permitted 
himself  to  be  surprised.  This  alone  ought  not  to  tarnish  his  fame ; 
for  commanders,  more  acquainted  with  the  savages  than  Braddock, 
have  been  surprised  and  defeated  long  since  the  lesson  from  his 
fate  has  been  given.  William  Johnson,  the  same  year,  with  a  force 
raised  from  New-England  and  New- York,  was  sent  against  Crown 
Point,  but  he  never  reached  there.  Near  the  head  of  Lake  George, 
the  advance  of  his  army  was  attacked  by  the  French  and  Indians, 
under  the  Baron  Dieskeau,  and  driven  into  the  main  body,  which, 
after  the  fight  began,  had  thrown  up  a  few  felled  trees  to  protect 
themselves.  From  this  ground  the  enemy  was  repulsed,  and  Dies- 
keau severely  wounded.  Johnson  was  knighted  for  the  exploit, 
but  truth,  since  discovered,  must  give  the  honours  of  that  day  to 
General  Lyman,  second  in  command,  who  fought  the  battle.  John- 
son having  been  wounded  in  the  early  part  of  the  engagement,  re- 
tired from  the  field.  In  this  battle,  in  the  first  part  of  it,  fell  the 
celebrated  Indian  chief,  Hendrick,  who  was  in  friendship  with  us, 


236  LECTURES  ON 

and  was  fighting  for  the  colonies.  He  was  one  of  those  men  made 
a  chief  by  nature.  He  was  fierce,  bold,  and  persevering  in  fight, 
and  made  the  best  arrangements  for  battle.  He  was  as  politick  as 
brave  ;  but  his  superiority  was  in  no  small  degree  owing  to  his 
wisdom  and  eloquence.  Many  of  his  remarks  have  come  down 
to  us,  and  are  as  pithy  as  any  of  those  ascribed  to  the  ancients. 
When  asked  if  a  certain  number  of  troops  were  sufficient  for  a 
particular  expedition,  he  answered,  "  They  are  too  many  to  be 
sacrificed,  and  too  few  to  conquer." 

Montcalm  succeeded  to  Dieskeau.  He  was  an  accomplished 
officer,  who  had  served  with  great  reputation  in  several  campaigns 
in  Europe,  and  was  sent  to  succour  Canada.  Offensive  measures 
were  not  within  his  calculations  ;  but  finding  that  he  was  not  likely 
to  be  disturbed  at  Quebeck,  or  at  Crown  Point,  he  proceeded  up  to 
Lake  George,  and  made  an  attack  on  Fort  William  Henry,  then 
garrisoned  by  Colonel  Munro  with  British  and  provincial  soldiers. 
The  fort  was  in  a  low  and  badly  selected  place,  and  of  course 
fell,  after  an  obstinate  defence.  Montcalm  guarantied  to  the  pri- 
soners a  safe  conduct  through  the  woods  to  the  settlements  on  the 
Hudson  ;  but,  from  what  cause  has  never  been  explained,  this  article 
in  the  terms  of  capitulation  was  totally  disregarded.  No  sooner 
had  the  march  of  the  provincials  commenced,  than  the  Indians  fell 
upon  these  disarmed  soldiers,  the  great  objects  of  their  hatred,  with 
infernal  ferocity,  butchering  without  discrimination  all  they  over- 
took. Driven  to  madness,  some  of  the  provincials  were  collected 
and  stood  their  ground,  and  when  the  savages  came  upon  them, 
they  met  their  fire,  and  then  rushed  on  their  foes  and  struggled  for 
their  arms  ;  and  such  was  the  success  of  this  desperate  attempt, 
that  arms  and  ammunition  sufficient  to  check  the  assailants  were 
obtained  long  before  the  close  of  the  bloody  day.  This  track  of 
slaughter  and  horrour  is  now  traced  by  the  traveller  as  consecrated 
ground :  often  has  he  put  himself  hi  health  and  spirits  for  such  a 
campaign  at  Saratoga  Springs,  whose  medicinal  waters  had  been 
shown  by  Hendrick  to  Johnson,  several  years  before  the  chief  was 
slain. 

In  1756,  Governor  Shirley,  of  Massachusetts,  who  was  a  good 
lawyer  and  excellent  civil  magistrate,  conceiving  himself  to  be  by 
nature  made  for  a  warrior,  marched  with  a  considerable  force  to 
Oswego ;  but  that  ground  had  as  yet  been  very  treacherous  to  the 
fame  of  every  military  leader  but  Johnson,  and  he  had  barely 
escaped  a  disasterous  fate.  Shirley  returned  without  all  the  laurels 
he  expected.  He  wrote  a  defence  of  himself,  which  goes  to  prove 
that  he  was  more  successful  than  others  in  the  same  campaign. 

In  the  summer  of  1758,  General  Abercrombie  and  Lord  Howe, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  23? 

with  ten  thousand  regulars  and  six  thousand  militia,  marched  to 
Lake  George,  and  made  preparation  to  attack  Ticonderoga.  They 
moved  down  the  lake,  which  had  been  called  Lake  Sacrament,  from 
the  purity  of  its  waters,  in  a  thousand  boats,  in  most  magnificent 
style ;  but  in  this  expedition,  Lord  Howe  was  killed,  and  nineteen 
hundred  and  thirty-five  of  the  provincials  and  British  soldiers  fell 
in  t\vo  liours,  in  the  attack  upon  the  fort,  and  the  expedition  ended 
in  a  retreat.  This  was  wholly  owing  to  Abercrombie's  disregard- 
ing the  advice  of  the  provincial  commander,  General  Winslow,  an 
experienced  officer.  Lord  Howe  was  a  young  man  of  high  pro- 
mise, and  so  much  esteemed  by  the  provincial  troops,  that  Massa- 
chusetts, with  the  permission  of  the  king,  erected  a  monument  to 
his  memory  in  Westminster  Abbey.  General  Winslow  was  a  gal- 
lant officer,  of  commanding  talents,  and  had  seen  much  service ; 
he  was  a  descendant  of  the  first  and  second  governors  of  that  name 
of  the  Plymouth  colony,  whose  military  prowess  is  identified 
with  the  history  of  the  country.  He  was  well  educated,  and  had 
gained  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  British  officers,  and  the 
affection  of  his  own  troops ;  the  papers  of  that  day  bear  testimony 
to  his  spirit  in  supporting  the  claim  of  his  own  men  to  distinction. 
In  this  campaign,  as  in  the  preceding  and  following  winters,  the 
Rangers,  as  a  particular  corps  was  called,  performed  extraordinary 
feats.  This  body  of  troops  was  provincials,  under  the  command  of 
Major  Rodgers,  an  experienced  officer ;  Generals  Putnam  and  Stark 
were  at  this  time  captains  in  this  body,  and  distinguished  themselves 
for  bravery  and  skill.  The  journal  of  Major  Rodgers  is  in  print, 
and  is  worthy  the  attention  of  the  American  reader,  as  the  bravery, 
fortitude,  and  sufferings,  of  these  rangers,  have  no  parallels  in  British 
history.  The  British  historians  only  glance  at  these  exploits  of  our 
countrymen,  and  we  have  had  but  few  historians  ourselves  to  re- 
cord them  ;  in  all  these  contests,  the  provincial  army  had  to 
pioneer  the  way,  and  met  death  and  sufferings  with  a  patriotick 
ardour,  but  had  none  of  a  martyr's  glory.  The  living  provincial 
soldiers  saw  the  honours  wrested  from  him  in  every  battle,  when 
he  had  done  his  part,  and  more  than  his  part,  to  serve  his  country 
and  his  king. 

At  the  close  of  this  campaign,  the  military  reputation  of  England 
was  at  a  low  ebb.  The  world  began  to  think  England  in  her 
dotage.  One  disaster  had  followed  another  so  closely  that  these 
things  could  hardly  be  considered  the  fortune  of  war  only.  In 
Europe,  from  Italy  to  Russia,  the  historians  and  pamphleteers  were 
prophesying  disasters  to  England,  and  declaring  glorious  omens 
for  France.  The  lilies  were  said  to  grow  brighter  every  day. 
The  political  seers  looked  at  the  great  efforts  of  France,  and  at  their 


238  LECTURES  ON 

chain  of  fortifications,  extending  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the 
Mississippi,  and  called  it  the  great  bow  of  power  around  the  Atlan- 
tick  settlements.  At  this  gloomy  period,  when  despondency  seemed 
to  reign  on  this  and  the  other  side  of  the  water,  Chatham  was 
made  premier  of  England.  This  statesman  had  been  a  patriot 
leader  for  many  years,  and  had  stemmed  the  torrent  of  corruption 
and  folly  with  fearlessness  and  energy.  The  disasters  of  his  coun- 
try raised  him  to  power,  and  he  brought  all  the  resources  of  his 
great  mind  to  retrieve  her  misfortunes ;  at  once  the  war  assumed  a 
new  character.  He  broke  down  the  system,  which  had  long  been 
practised  upon,  of  sending  those  abroad  who  were  not  much  want- 
ed at  home,  and  at  once  selected  the  leaders  of  his  armies  from  the 
most  determined  of  his  generals.  Amherst  and  Wolfe  were  sent 
to  America,  and  the  result  of  the  calculations  of  the  ministry  proved 
their  wisdom.  Wolfe  met  Montcalm,  and  beat  him ;  Amherst  with- 
out difficulty  marched  over  the  same  ground  which  his  predecessor 
had  attempted  and  failed.  Ticonderoga,  Crown  Point,  and  Mont- 
real, yielded  without  a  struggle,  and  the  war  was  ended.  In  the 
fame  of  Chatham,  both  hemispheres  claim  a  share.  He  is  identified 
with  his  country's  honour,  not  only  during  his  administration,  but 
for  ever.  He  saw,  and  gloried  in  the  sight,  that  the  language,  the 
manners,  the  principles  of  government,  the  laws,  and  the  sciences 
and  literature  of  England,  were  growing  up  robustly  and  firmly  in 
this  extended  country.  He  saw  the  current  of  liberty  and  law 
flowing  with  English  blood,  and  identified  his  own  country  with 
her  colonies.  America  will  never  forget  this  great  man ;  we  re- 
joice in  the  thought  that  "  his  language  is  our  mother  tongue." 
He  knew  the  character  of  the  colonies  ;  he  appreciated  their  sacri- 
fices, and  did  justice  to  their  exertions ;  and  was  unwilling  that 
they  should  be  trampled  upon,  and  oppressed  by  exactions  and  in- 
sults. He  lifted  his  voice  in  their  favour  at  all  times,  but  it  was 
not  always  heard,  as  it  should  have  been. 

From  the  peace  of  1763  to  1775,  there  was  a  constant  course  of 
irritations  and  bickerings  between  the  colonies  and  the  mother 
country.  The  colonies  had  been  involved  in  debt,  in  support  of 
British  wars,  and  had  bled  at  every  pore  for  her  glory ;  there  was 
not  a  place  on  the  frontier  or  seaboard,  where  the  bones  of  the 
colonists  were  not  left  to  whiten ;  nor  a  family  in  the  provinces 
that  did  not  mourn  some  member  of  it  cut  off  in  these  wars  ;  but 
all  these  things  were  forgotten,  and  a  revenue  was  to  be  extorted 
from  them,  against  their  will.  The  storm  which  had  long  been 
gathering  at  length  burst  upon  their  heads.  The  battle  of  Lexington 
opened  the  first  scene  of  the  drama  which  was  to  close  in  an  eternal 
separation  of  this  country  from  England.  It  was  hard  to  burst  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  239 

ties  of  friendship  and  consanguinity.  .The  colonies  loved  the  name 
of  Briton,  and  felt  connected  with  her  name  and  fortunes.  Her 
step-dame  cruelty  had  wounded  the  hearts  of  her  children,  but  had 
not  extinguished  their  affections.  The  colonists  had  often  entered 
complaints,  and  sometimes  murmured  a  threat;  but  at  the  same 
time  prayed  that  all  might  be  well  again  soon.  It  was  in  vain : 
the  divorce  was  necessary,  and  has  been  useful  to  both  nations, 
and  to  the  world.  The  mother  country  had  wrong  and  contradic- 
tory impressions  of  us ;  they  overrated  our  pecuniary  means  to  pay 
taxes,  and  underrated  the  military  talents  which  we  possessed. 
They  called  our  determination,  obstinacy  ;  our  just  indignation,  a 
factious  spirit;  opposition  was  denominated  rebellion;  and  no 
measure  of  indulgence  could,  consistently  with  the  views  of  the 
ministry,  be  productive  of  any  thing  but  mischief.  The  pride  of 
the  few  in  England  overcame  the  judgement  of  the  many ;  and  the 
appeal  to  arms  became  inevitable.  The  colonies  found  this  could 
not  be  averted  by  petitions,  entreaties,  or  reasoning,  and  prepared, 
as  well  as  they  could,  for  the  worst.  That  day  was  full  of  fate  to  us ; 
and  by  the  protecting  hand  of  Providence,  we  were  preserved.  It 
should  never  be  forgotten  by  us.  All  who  live  at  this  time,  and 
have  come  up  since  that  period,  can  hardly  realize  the  solemnity 
and  distress  of  this  preparation  for  the  conflict.  After  the  battle  of 
Lexington,  all  were  seeking  for  means  of  attack  and  defence.  The 
lead  was  stripped  from  the  old  fashioned  diamond  glass  windows  and 
melted  for  bullets  ;  women  gave  their  last  flannel  wrapper  for  the 
use  of  the  artillery  in  making  cartridges  ;  every  old  firelock,  whe- 
ther of  William  and  Mary  or  of  Queen  Anne,  or  those  taken  from 
the  French  at  Louisbourg  or  Quebeck,  was  mended  up  for  fight. 
The  pulpits  rang  with  the  duties  of  the  Christian  soldier,  and  the 
Bible  heroes  were  emblazoned  anew  as  examples  for  imitation. 
The  clergy  were  not  only  tongue  valiant,  but  many  of  them  joined 
the  train-bands,  and  were  ready  to  fight  the  battles  of  freedom. 
Matrons  not  only  assisted  to  gird  on  the  swords  of  their  husbands, 
but  put  the  weapons  of  war  into  the  hands  of  their  beardless  sons, 
and  urged  them  to  the  field  of  danger.  Who  could  withstand  such  a 
spirit?  What  foe  could  meet  men  so  sent  out?  The  whole  of  the 
existence  of  the  colonies  had  been  preparing  them  for  this  sad  crisis, 
as  it  then  seemed  to  all ;  but  which,  in  truth,  was  only  the  forerun- 
ner to  national  independence  and  national  consequence,  in  the  eyes 
of  those  who  were  first  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  A  whole 
people,  as  well  as  individuals,  have  their  hours  of  despondency ;  and 
this  was  one,  indeed,  for  our  own  people;  but  the  minds  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  were  all  prepared  for  the  straggle.  There 
was  nothing  of  hasty  impulse  in  their  determination,  nothing  un- 


240  LECTURES  ON 

thought  of,  by  sire  and  son ;  they  had  compared  notes,  and  settled 
the  course  to  be  pursued  in  any  event.  Another  hour  like  this  will, 
perhaps,  never  again  be  found  in  the  history  of  man.  The  English 
were,  as  a  nation,  totally  incapable  of  understanding  the  force  of  this 
moral  pressure  upon  a  people  so  educated  and  so  oppressed.  It 
was  a  subject  worthy  the  attention  of  the  philosophers  of  the  mind, 
and  those  who  wished  to  analyze  the  laws  by  which  nations  are 
governed,  when  oppression  acts  upon  those  "  who  know  their 
Tights,  and,  knowing,  dare  maintain  them."  This  solemn  deter- 
mination which  did  not  vent  itself  in  words,  but  was  ready  to  show 
itself  by  deeds,  was  entirely  misunderstood  by  those  who  pretended 
to  examine  the  tone  of  feeling,  and  to  try  the  spirit  of  the  people 
they  were  sent  to  awe  to  silence  and  submission.  There  were  a 
few,  indeed,  who  came  to  this  country,  and  a  few  in  England,  who 
had  never  been  here,  who  clearly  foresaw  all  that  would  happen, 
for  they  were  well  acquainted  with  the  nature,  principles,  and  re- 
sources of  the  people  of  America. 

The  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  was  important  in  many  respects.  It 
was  fought  on  something  like  a  systematick  plan.  The  officers 
had  generally  been  in  battle;  many  of  them  were  at  Louisbourg, 
which  had  been  taken  just  thirty  years  before,  even  to  a  day;  and 
others,  at  a  later  period,  had  been  with  Abercrombie,  Amherst,  or 
Wolfe,  on  the  frontiers.  Putnam,  Prescott,  Gridley,  Stark,  and 
many  of  the  others,  even  to  the  common  soldiers,  had  Seen  much 
service.  The  British  were  not  aware  of  the  manner  in  which  the 
yeomanry  were  officered,  and  thought,  or  affected  to  believe,  that 
the  show  of  force  was  nothing  more  than  a  rabble.  The  battle  was 
commenced  as  a  matter  of  amusement  by  the  British  forces ;  about 
one  half  of  those  who  were  led  up  the  hill  between  three  and  four 
o'clock,  had  crossed  from  Boston  to  Charlestown  at  twelve  o'clock, 
and  dined  directly  in  full  view  of  the  American  redoubt ;  they 
were  certain  that  as  soon  as  a  movement  was  made,  the  Americans 
would  run,  and  the  battle-field  would  be  their  own,  without  danger 
or  bloodshed.  The  manner  in  which  these  troops  were  met  was 
deadly  and  tremendous ;  all  the  beauty  of  the  pageant  was  soon 
over.  In  this  battle,  at  least  fifteen  hundred  of  the  flower  of  the 
English  army  were  slain  in  less  than  two  hours,  and  a  greater  pro- 
portion of  their  officers  than  usual.  More  than  three  hundred  of  the 
corses  of  the  slain  were  brought  to  Boston,  and  buried  at  the  lower 
part  of  the  common,  to  hide  the  amount  of  their  loss.  Never  was 
there  a  more  sudden  and  awful  lesson  than  the  British  soldiers  expe- 
rienced on  this  memorable  day.  The  provincials  fought  until  all  their 
ammunition  was  expended,  and  they  had  seen  the  best  and  bravest 
of  all  his  Majesty's  troops  again  and  again  retiring  from  the  effect 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  1241 

of  their  fire.  There  were  not  too  many  of  the  provincials  killed 
for  the  desired  effect  of  rousing  the  energies  of  the  people,  and 
giving  a  solemnity  to  the  occasion ;  and  enough  of  the  British  to 
show  the  provincials  that  regular  soldiers  were  neither  invulnerable 
nor  invincible.  Had  the  Americans  gained  a  victory,  in  all  proba- 
bility the  ministry  would  have  sent  out  twice  as  many  soldiers  for 
the  next  campaign  as  they  did.  The  ministry  were  told  this  was 
only  a  smart  skirmish,  and  would  not  be  repeated.  The  British 
disguised,  as  much  as  possible,  the  effects  of  this  battle  on  their 
numbers,  and  more  so  the  effect  produced  on  the  spirits  of  their 
troops.  The  loss  of  General  Warren  made  a  great  impression  on 
the  minds  of  our  people  in  every  part  of  the  country.  His  name, 
as  president  of  the  provincial  congress,  as  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  safety,  his  fame  as  a  splendid  orator,  and  his  acknow- 
ledged patriotism  and  bravery,  had  fixed  him  indelibly  in  the  hearts 
of  his  countrymen.  They  honoured  others  from  duty  and  policy, 
they  followed  him  from  affection.  "  The  blood  of  the  martyrs?  it 
has  been  said,  "was  the  seed  of  the  church."  From  this  patriot's 
blood,  we  may  say,  sprang  myriads  of  armed  men.  The  affecting 
fable  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Athenian  virgins  to  the  sea-born  mon- 
ster, rightly  read,  is  precisely  this:  that  the  best  and  purest  of  the 
youthful  blood  of  Athens  was  spilt  to  maintain  their  naval  supe- 
riority, as  their  only,  or  their  best  defence,  in  the  infancy  of  their 
existence.  Our  fate  was  similar ;  our  youthful  blood  was  poured 
out  for  the  country.  Long  since  the  events  of  that  memorable 
day,  the  story  of  the  fall  of  Warren  has  been  told  to  children  as 
matter  of  example  and  excitement,  and  his  name  and  his  virtues 
have  come  down  to  posterity  with  those  of  Washington.  Great 
occasions  produce  great  men.  Necessity  is  said  to  instruct  her 
children  better  in  self-defence  than  other  mothers. 

For  a  century  and  an  half  the  people  of  this  country  had  been 
educated  in  the  school  of  self-defence.  These  lessons  they  were 
often  forced  to  write  in  characters  of  blood.  They  had  been  so 
often  thrown  upon  their  resources,  that  they  never  suffered  any 
feelings  of  despair  to  weigh  them  down.  They  had  known  nothing 
of  the  pageantry  of  war,  nor  its  power  in  advancing  one  to  wealth 
and  honour ;  but  they  had  been  made  acquainted  with  its  difficulties 
and  hardships.  They  had  a  sufficiency  of  those  native  elements 
which  make  courage  a  principle,  and  something  of  the  experience 
which  makes  it  a  habit. 

We  have  opened  upon  the  revolution ;  but  we  cannot,  at  this  mo- 
ment, indulge  in  even  a  glimpse  of  the  heroes  of  that  war ;  their 
deeds,  and  their  fame,  shall  be  the  burden  of  some  future  lecture. 
It  is  now  the  right  time,  perhaps,  to  write  out  the  memoirs  of  that 
X  31 


242  LECTURES  ON 

age,  and  of  these  men ;  for  we  are  not  so  near  the  era  of  the  revo- 
lution as  to  catch,  and  to  incorporate  the  partialities  and  prejudices 
which  were  then  abroad,  into  our  opinions  upon  their  merits ;  nor 
are  we  so  far  from  that  time,  as  to  require  the  aid  of  fiction  to  fill  up 
our  picture.  We  have  been  companions,  in  later  times,  with  many  of 
the  actors  in  those  scenes ;  and  from  our  childhood  have  heard  them 
recount  the  circumstances  of  the  revolution,  most  minutely,  again 
and  again.  There  are,  thank  heaven,  some  few  of  these  veterans 
still  lingering  among  the  living ;  these  can,  yea,  do  assist  us  in 
giving  faithful  descriptions  of  the  scenes  they  witnessed,  and  cor- 
rect delineations  of  the  characters  they  have  known.  I  know  that 
it  is  impossible  for  any  one  writer  to  do  justice  to  all ;  but  another 
may  finish  what  one  begins,  and  in  the  progress  of  time  much  may 
be  effected.  I  shall  attempt  to  sketch  some  of  these  characters 
hereafter,  without  any  other  pretensions  than  that  of  a  sincere  lover 
of  my  country's  talent,  wherever,  or  whenever  it  may  be  found. 
I  have  breathed  the  same  air,  and  trod  the  same  soil,  in  common 
with  them,  and  that  is  something  towards  a  fitnesss  for  my  labour. 
I  will  illustrate  what  is  difficult  to  describe.  A  gentleman  from  this 
country,  several  years  since,  visited  Italy,  and  became  familiarly 
acquainted  with  the  great  Praxiteles  of  modern  times,  Canova; 
he  was  often  at  his  rooms,  and  one  day,  while  the  great  master  was 
giving  the  last  touch  to  his  statue  of  Washington,  the  keen  sighted 
physiognomist  observed  by  the  countenance  of  his  familiar  visitor, 
that  he  was  making  a  comparison,  in  his  mind,  between  this  work  and 
an  exquisite  bust  of  Napoleon,  on  the  table.  The  sensitive  sculp- 
tor exclaimed,  but  in  his  own  sweet  language, — "I  have  seen  the 
emperor,  and  have  breathed  the  air  of  France  ;  but  I  never 
crossed  the  Atlantick — never  saw  your  country — never  heard  the 
voice  of  Washing-ton." 

As  man  is  constituted,  civil  liberty  cannot  be  preserved  without 
military  strength ;  sylvan  scenes,  and  the  golden  reign  of  perpetual 
peace,  exist  only  in  the  dreams  of  the  amiable  theorist;  they  are  not 
in  nature.  Military  prowess  shows  the  muscular  strength  and 
mental  energy  of  a  people,  and  often  is  a  proof  of  their  advancement 
in  arts  and  sciences ;  for  there  is  not  a  particle  of  human  knowledge, 
but  may  be  of  use  in  a  camp  or  on  a  battle-field.  The  higher  the 
science  of  war  is  carried  by  a  nation,  the  more  certainty  there  is  of 
her  being  at  peace.  There  is  an  eloquence  in  cannon  which  reaches 
a  foe  above  all  the  silver-tongued  instruments  of  art.  The  argument 
from  a  full  mouthed  battery  is  powerfully  convincing.  The  spirit 
to  defend  may  degenerate  into  a  passion  to  conquer.  This,  by  a 
people  of  cultivated  minds,  will  be  guarded  against  and  prevented ; 
sages  and  warriors  should  live  together ;  bat  the  disposition  to 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  243 

quarrel  is  generally  found  to  be  in  an  inverse  ratio  with  the  ability 
to  fight.  History  is  full  of  proofs  to  this  effect ;  and  ancient  and 
modern  fiction  furnish  a  thousand  mirrors  to  reflect  this  truth.  The 
Lilliputians  were  constantly  preparing  their  tiny  bows  and  arrows 
for  an  attack,  and  misconstrued  courtesy  into  insult ;  but  the  giants 
of  old  seldom  waged  war ;  and  when  they  did,  it  was  against  the 
gods  they  fought,  sure  of  the  sustaining  power  of  their  mother  earth. 


LECTURE  XIV. 


For  what  of  thrilling  sympathy, 
Did  e'er  in  human  bosom  vie 
With  that  which  stira  the  soldier's  breast, 
When,  high  in  godlike  worth  confest, 
Some  noble  leader  gives  command, 
To  combat  for  his  native  land  1 
No ;  friendship's  freely  flowing  tide, 
The  soul  expanding ;  filial  pride, 
That  hears  with  craving,  fond  desire, 
The  bearings  of  a  gallant  sire ; 
The  yearnings  of  domestick  bliss, — 
E'en  love  itself,  will  yield  to  this. 

JO.ANNA  BAILLIE. 

ON  the  2d  day  of  July,  1775,  Washington  arrived  at  Cambridge, 
and  took  command  of  the  American  army.  He  was  not  at  this 
time  much  known  to  the  officers  of  that  army  ;  but  in  addition  to 
his  having  been  selected  by  the  continental  Congress,  a  body 
which  had  the  confidence  of  all  the  people,  his  personal  appearance, 
his  military  air,  his  sage  demeanour,  his  attention  to  every  minutiae 
of  the  camp,  and  his  punctilious  regard  to  religious  observances,  at 
once  commanded  respect  and  admiration.  This  soon  ripened  into 
that  enthusiastick  veneration,  which  had  before  been  rather  the 
creature  of  the  imagination  than  the  belief  of  the  understanding. 
This  adoration,  for  it  came  as  near  it  as  any  thing  a  mortal  could 
inspire,  was  never  for  a  moment  lessened  by  accident  or  reverse  of 
fortune.  Washington  had  the  undiminished  affections  of  New- 
England  from  that  hour  to  the  last  moment  of  his  existence.  The 


244  LECTURES  ON 

war  had  commenced  in  good  earnest ;  for  a  large  army  besieged  the 
town  of  Boston  from  this  time  until  the  next  spring,  when  it  was 
evacuated  by  the  British.  The  continental  Congress  soon  began 
to  think  of  effective  measures  in  attack  as  well  as  in  defence.  In 
the  fall  of  1775,  Generals  Schuyler  and  Montgomery  had  been  sent 
from  New- York  to  attack  Canada.  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point 
had  been  previously  taken.  The  reasons  which  Congress  avowed 
for  this  offensive  war  were,  the  reports  that  General  Carleton  had 
been  stirring  up  the  Canadians  and  Indians  to  harass  our  frontiers. 
The  plan  of  attacking  Quebeck  was  a  most  magnificent  one ;  but 
of  very  difficult  execution.  A  detachment  were  to  penetrate  to 
Canada  from  the  Kennebeck  through  the  wilderness.  Twelve  hun- 
dred men  were  taken  from  Washington's  camp  for  this  service.  The 
commander  in  chief  cast  his  eye  around  him,  and  with  that  power  of 
discrimination  which  in  him  was  a  peculiar  trait  of  character,  he 
fixed  on  General  Arnold,  of  the  Connecticut  troops,  to  command 
this  daring  adventure.  Arnold  most  cheerfully  undertook  it.  The 
crossing  of  the  Alps  by  Hannibal  was  nothing  to  so  bold  an  adven- 
ture as  this.  The  hunter  had  not  passed  over  the  ground ;  nor  had 
man,  civilized  or  savage,  ever  left  a  track  of  any  kind  for  them  to 
follow.  In  the  midst  of  famine  and  frost,  they  acted  with  decision 
and  firmness.  Three  hundred  out  of  the  twelve,  after  having  pene- 
trated far  mto  the  wilderness,  were  sent  home  for  want  of  provisions, 
and  the  others  marched  on.  On  the  31st  of  December,  in  the  midst 
of  a  snow  storm,  an  attack  was  made  on  the  city  of  Quebeck  by 
Montgomery's  and  Arnold's  troops  in  different  places.  Arnold  was 
wounded  and  Montgomery  slain.  Montgomery  was  a  gallant  offi- 
cer, and  had  seen  much  service ;  and  his  death  was  deplored  by 
every  lover  of  liberty.  The  assailants  were  repulsed ;  but  the  city 
was  besieged  for  several  months  afterwards,  by  General  Thomas 
from  Massachusetts,  and  General  Sullivan  from  New-Hampshire ; 
both  officers  of  great  merit.  Thomas  died  in  the  campaign  with 
the  small  pox.  He  was  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  experienced 
officers  in  the  American  army. 

The  summer  of  1776  was  spent  in  watching  the  enemy,  whose 
forces  were  now  large,  probably  not  far  from  twenty-five  thousand ; 
and  our  scattered  forces  were  unequal  for  any  thing  more  than  hold- 
ing the  enemy  in  check.  Despair  sat  at  this  time  on  every  face. 
The  timid  had  begun  to  think  in  what  manner  their  peace  was  to 
be  made  with  the  mother  country.  It  was  at  this  moment  of  deep- 
est despondency  that  the  genius  of  Washington  developed  itself. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  four  hundred  men,  suffering  in  the 
blast ;  an  inclement  winter  having  commenced,  provisions  be- 
come scanty,  and  that  distress  which  precedes  sickness  of  heart, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  246 

and  recklessness  of  conduct,  being  depicted  in  every  countenance, 
Washington  determined  to  make  a  dash  upon  the  enemy,  to  recover 
the  lost  tone  of  feeling,  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 

" Oh  light  and  force  of  mind, 

Next  to  almighty  in  severe  extremes !" 

On  the  26th  of  December,  the  advanced  guard  of  the  enemy  were 
surprised  and  beaten  at  Trenton,  with  a  slight  loss  on  the  side  of 
the  victors.  Hope  again  illumined  our  horizon.  The  soldier  felt 
the  life  blood  flowing  more  warmly  in  his  veins,  and  even  the  halls 
of  Congress  resounded  with  the  accents  of  eloquence,  dictated  by 
hope  of  ultimate  success.  This  victory  was  followed  up  by  that 
of  Princeton,  in  which  the  gallant  Mercer  lost  his  life. 

Immediately  following  these  events,  the  European  nations  began 
to  look  with  interest  on  the  scenes  taking  place  in  this  country.  At 
the  commencement  of  this  year  the  chivalrous  and  patriotick  La- 
fayette came  to  assist  us  in  our  cause.  The  skirmishes  which  were 
daily  taking  place,  more  often  than  otherwise,  eventuated  in  favour 
of  the  continentals,  and  the  militia  of  the  several  states. 

The  next  important  circumstance,  in  the  military  history  of  our 
country  at  that  eventful  period,  was  the  taking  of  Burgoyne  and  his 
army  at  Saratoga,  on  the  17th  of  October,  1777.  This  was  truly 
the  deciding  point  of  the  conflict;  all  who  were  doubtful  of  the 
issue  before  were  settled  in  opinion  now ;  and  this  was  the  general 
impression,  not  only  throughout  this  country,  but  in  a  large  pro- 
portion of  Europe.  This  event  was  so  important  in  all  its  bearings 
on  our  national  affairs,  that  I  feel  bound  to  give  this  portion  of  our 
history  in  a  bolder  relief  than  I  have,  or  can,  any  other  epoch  in  our 
military  character  and  history. 

General  Burgoyne  had,  by  his  representations  to  the  ministry  of 
Great  Britain,  induced  them  to  furnish  him  with  an  army  of  ten 
thousand  men,  with  which  he  promised  to  come  from  Canada  by 
the  Lakes  Champlain  and  George  to  the  North  River,  and  from 
thence  to  New- York  city;  thinking  that  by  thus  separating  the 
south  from  the  north-east,  it  would  so  divide  and  dispirit  the  Ameri- 
can forces,  that  they  would  soon  yield  to  such  terms  as  the  British 
were  disposed  to  offer  them.  He,  with  a  large  body  of  regular 
troops,  and  a  considerable  body  of  Indians,  came  to  the  fort  at  Ti- 
conderoga,  the  most  formidable  work  in  North  America.  It  had 
been  taken  from  the  British  by  Col.  Ethan  Allen,  early  in  the  spring 
of  1775,  after  the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  before  that  of  Bunker 
Hill ;  and  was,  when  Burgoyne  reached  it,  garrisoned  by  a  conside- 
rable army  under  General  St.  Clan-,  who  had  no  apprehensions  for 
X2 


246  LECTURES  ON 

the  safety  of  his  fort.  This  fortress  was  an  old  French  work  of 
great  strength,  and  of  gigantick  dimensions,  with  walls  from  six  to 
ten  feet  in  thickness,  with  a  covert  way  to  the  waters  of  the  lake. 
When  the  British  army  arrived  in  the  neighbourhood,  all  was  tran- 
quil for  several  days,  when  it  was,  to  the  surprise  of  the  Americans, 
found  that  a  blockhouse  had  been  erected  on  Mount  Defiance,  an 
eminence  which  overlooks  the  fort,  and  had  been  heretofore  con- 
sidered inaccessible  to  human  foot,  holding  it  in  entire  command. 
St.  Clair  at  once  determined  on  evacuating  his  strong  hold,  and  to 
make  his  escape  in  the  night ;  this  was  attempted,  and  a  few  suc- 
ceeded in  making  their  escape ;  but  a  great  proportion  of  the  forces 
were  taken  or  slain  on  their  retreat.  This  was  a  dreadful  blow  to 
the  feelings  of  the  north  and  east.  Ticonderoga  was  considered 
safe.  It  was  an  important  post,  and  was  dear  to  us  from  the  pro- 
fusion of  blood  which  had  been  shed  there.  The  progress  of  the 
British  army  became  alarming ;  and  from  every  quarter  of  New- 
England  and  New- York  they  mustered  without  much  regularity  or 
order,  to  stop  its  progress.  Stark  marched  with  the  New-Hamp- 
shire forces  under  the  express  condition  that  he  should  not  be  joined 
to  the  continental  forces.  He  had  been  irritated  at  what  he  con- 
sidered neglect,  in  the  selection  and  promotion  of  officers,  after 
Washington  formed  the  army  at  Cambridge ;  and  on  no  account 
would  be  placed  under  continental  officers.  The  American  army 
every  day  increased ;  but  this  did  not  alarm,  in  the  slightest  degree, 
the  British  general.  His  army  was  full  of  gentlemen  of  high  rank 
at  home ;  six  of  them  at  that  time  were  members  of  Parliament,  and 
others  were  of  the  first  circles  of  fashion  in  England.  They  had 
thought  the  campaign  would  only  be  a  mere  pastime.  With  this 
body  of  troops  were  several  elegant  women,  who  had  followed  the 
fortunes  of  their  husbands  across  the  water,  and  through  the  wil- 
derness ;  among  them  was  the  Baroness  of  Riedesel,  whose  husband 
commanded  the  German  troops.  She  was  a  splendid  woman; 
gifted  with  genius,  and  blessed  with  an  education  of  the  highest 
order,  in  the  most  polished  courts  of  Europe:  she  was  destined  to  be 
the  best  and  most  pathetick  historian  of  that  memorable  expedition. 
The  Baroness  had  a  daughter  born  in  this  country,  and  from  the 
kind  treatment  which  she  received  here  while  a  prisoner  of  war,  she 
gave  the  child  the  name  of  the  country— America.  Lady  Harriet 
Ackland  was  with  the  army ;  her  husband  was  the  gallant  Major 
Ackland,  who  afterwards  fell  in  a  duel  defending  the  American 
character  for  bravery.  Lady  Balcarras,  a  woman  of  great  spright- 
liness,  was  also  in  the  circle,  besides  a  great  number  of  ladies  of 
less  note,  but  of  high  taste  and  accomplishments,  the  wives  of  offi- 
cers less  known  to  us  than  those  we  have  mentioned. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  247 

The  Americans  had  rapidly  assembled,  and  the  British  comman- 
der moved  on  to  Saratoga.  When  he  readied  the  heights  of  that 
place,  he  found  his  opposers  so  numerous,  and  so  difficult  to  deal 
with  in  every  foraging  party,  that  he  thought  it  best  to  fortify  his 
camp  as  soon  as  possible.  This  was  done  with  great  skill,  for  Bur- 
goyne  had  been  bred  a  soldier,  and  had  with  him  also  some  of  the 
most  scientifick  men  of  the  British  army ;  many  who  had  been  bred, 
as  well  as  himself,  in  the  school  of  Frederick  the  Great,  who  was 
then  living,  and  watching  the  movements  of  this  revolution  with 
great  interest. 

Burgoyne  had,  on  his  entrance  into  the  territory  of  New-York, 
published  a  manifesto,  which  did  not  evince  that  good  taste  for 
which  the  General  had  been  distinguished ;  but  probably  he  mistook 
the  taste  and  feelings  of  those  he  came  to  subdue.  This  manifesto 
was  answered  by  Washington  in  a  very  forcible  manner.  This 
answer  contains  satire  and  argument  conveyed  in  the  most  elegant 
language.  Its  spirit  is  also  fine  and  bold ;  the  gasconade  of  the 
English  commander  is  met  with  manly  defiance,  and  he  was  worsted 
before  the  battle  commenced,  in  a  way  he  hardly  expected.  Bur- 
goyne was  said  to  have  been  a  natural  son  of  Lord  Bingley ;  some, 
however,  think  that  he  had  still  more  important  relations.  In  1762, 
he  had  a  command  in  Portugal.  After  his  return  to  England,  he 
was  chosen  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  became  a  privy  counsel- 
lor. Gallant,  gay,  learned,  eloquent,  and  in  the  full  sunshine  of 
patronage,  he  had  taken  the  command  of  the  northern  army,  and 
indulged  the  hope  of  a  brilliant  campaign.  The  fates  were  against 
him,  and  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  all  his  splendid  visions  of  glory, 
and  prepare  to  defend  himself  before  his  king  and  country.  In  this 
he  was  able ;  and  one  would  think  that  he  had  offered  a  sufficient  ex- 
cuse for  every  thing  but  his  ignorance  of  the  foe  he  was  to  meet, 
and  his  staying  so  long  on  the  frontiers  after  St.  Glair's  retreat ;  but 
for  this  also  he  had  a  plausible  excuse.  The  British  ministry  were 
mortified  and  distressed  at  this  unexpected  failure ;  and  to  turn  the 
popular  indignation  from  themselves,  they  were  obliged  to  sacrifice 
their  favourite.  They  ordered  him  to  return  forthwith  to  America 
as  a  prisoner ;  but  this  was  not  insisted  upon  ;  yet,  he  was  obliged 
to  resign  all  his  offices  and  emoluments,  which  were  very  consider- 
able. He  was  still  returned  to  Parliament,  or  held  his  seat  there 
from  a  previous  election,  and  joined  in  the  opposition  to  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  war ;  warmly  contending  that  America  would  pre- 
vail. From  the  peace  of  1783,  he  lived  a  retired  life,  until  the  4th 
of  August,  1792,  when  he  died,  as  it  was  stated  in  the  papers  of  that 
day,  by  a  fit  of  the  gout  in  the  stomach.  An  American  royalis^ 
who  was  in  England,  and  resided  within  a  few  doors  of  his  dwelling 


248  LECTURES  ON 

informed  me  that  he  fell  by  his  own  hand,  a  prey  to  disappointment 
and  neglect.  There  never  arose  a  man  in  Great  Britain  who  for  a 
time  held  so  many  important  offices,  and  on  whom  so  much  reliance 
was  placed,  of  whom  the  world  knew  so  little.  A  mystery  hung 
about  him  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  and  that,  too,  in  a  country 
where  there  are  but  few  secrets  of  any  domestick  or  political 
nature. 

The  American  army  engaged  in  this  enterprise,  contained  many 
fine  officers.  Schuyler  was  a  man  of  great  good  sense  and  experi- 
ence, having  been  an  officer  in  the  war  of  1755  to  1763.  He  pre- 
ferred to  assist  in  saving  his  country,  rather  than  to  put  it  in  jeo- 
pardy by  resentment  at  losing  the  honour  of  commanding  the 
army  in  the  campaign  of  1777,  after  he  had  prepared  the  forces  for  it. 
General  Morgan,  the  bold  and  intrepid  Virginian,  was  there,  and 
most  efficient  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  as  he  was  through- 
out the  whole  war.  Arnold  was  also  one  of  the  most  intrepid 
soldiers  in  the  campaign.  Lincoln  was  there  also ;  he  was  one  of 
the  most  bold  and  discreet  of  the  revolutionary  generals.  Brooks, 
whose  share  in  this  event,  every  historian  of  the  war  has  celebrated, 
and  with  whose  merits  the  present  generation  have  been  made  ac- 
quainted, lived  to  give  us  many  minute  circumstances  of  the  taking 
of  Burgoyne,  which  otherwise  would  have  been  lost ;  Dearborn 
and  Hull  had  their  share  in  the  honours  of  that  day ;  and  many 
more  who  deserve  the  meed  of  honour  from  the  future  historians, 
who  may  arise  to  give  to  distant  ages  the  deeds  of  the  men  who 
fought  and  bled  to  achieve  the  liberties  we  now  enjoy. 

In  this  year,  1777,  there  were  fifty  thousand  troops  composing 
the  British  army  for  the  carrying  on  the  American  war.  Twenty 
thousand  under  Sir  William  Howe;  ten  thousand  under  Bur- 
goyne; four  thousand  under  Sir  Guy  Carleton  at  Quebeck,  and 
sixteen  thousand  at  New- York  and  Nova  Scotia.  These  troops  were 
supported  at  an  immense  expense,  and  it  had  cost  great  sums  to  tran- 
sport them  to  this  country.  Their  bounty  money,  equipments, 
transportation,  and  support  for  six  months,  was  at  least  an  hundred 
pounds  sterling  a  man.  From  this  period,  the  war  was  not  pushed 
by  England,  as  it  was  expected  to  have  been.  They  seemed  to 
wish  to  exhaust  the  patience  of  the  Americans,  as  they  were  satis- 
fied that  it  was  impossible  to  conquer  them  by  constant  fighting. 
The  American  and  English  troops  often  came  in  contact,  with 
varied  success,  but  the  enemy  soon  found  that  this  was  not  a  war  to 
be  decided  by  a  few  battles ;  for  when  they  thought  the  provincial 
troops  entirely  routed,  these  very  forces  were  forming  again  in 
the  neighbourhood,  and  preparing  to  harrass  those  they  had  not 
force  enough  to  subdue.  The  affairs  at  Stoney  Point  were  well 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  249 

conducted,  and  those  at  Monmouth  and  Guilford  Court  House,  if  not 
of  vital  importance  to  the  American  cause,  or  if  they  could  not  be 
called  absolutely  victorious,  were,  all  things  considered,  rather  en- 
couraging than  otherwise ;  and  that  at  Eutaw  Springs  was  suffi- 
ciently decisive  to  lead  directly  to  those  measures  which  terminated 
the  war,  by  the  taking  of  Lord  Cornwallis  and  his  army  at  York- 
town.  I  have  not  mentioned  these  battles  with  the  intention  of 
giving  any  sort  of  account  of  them,  but  only  to  show  what  energy 
of  mind  was  exhibited,  and  what  exertions  were  called  forth  at 
every  period  of  the  revolutionary  conflict.  That  there  were  mo- 
ments of  depression,  and  instances  of  faint-heartedness,  cannot  be 
denied ;  but  from  the  opening  of  the  drama  until  the  curtain  fell, 
the  acting  was,  in  general,  noble,  and  more  or  less  brilliant  and 
successful  as  the  scenes  shifted.  Unity  of  plan,  and  stability  of 
purpose,  were  evident  from  the  beginning  to  the  end. 

Each  state  might  justly  be  proud  of  the  share  of  talents  and  cou- 
rage it  furnished  for  this  long  and  bloody  conflict ;  which  diminish- 
ed the  population,  exhausted  the  resources  of  the  country,  and 
stagnated  business  from  Georgia  to  Maine.  The  floods  of  paper 
money  which  had  poured  forth  in  torrents,  had  become  worthless 
as  the  fallen  leaves  of  Autumn  ;  penury  and  distress  were  the  re- 
wards of  the  brave  and  the  patriotick;  and  many  of  those  who 
had  fought  and  bled  in  defence  of  the  liberties  of  the  people,  on 
returning  home,  saw  their  former  earnings  dwindled  away,  and  felt 
that  it  was  necessary  to  commence  the  world  anew  with  injured 
constitutions  and  a  soldier's  habits.  A  good  portion  of  them, 
thank  heaven,  were  sufficiently  elastick  to  rise  from  this  depression, 
and  to  join  in  the  great  work  of  building  up  our  free  institutions, 
and  of  laying  the  foundation  of  our  national  prosperity. 

Those  who  perished  on  the  field,  and  those  who  survived  to  join  in 
the  labours  of  civil  and  political  life,  for  many  succeeding  years,  should 
not  be  forgotten  by  us  their  descendants.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  legis- 
latures of  every  state  to  make  the  greatest  exertions  to  do  justice  to 
her  portion  of  these  heroes.  It  is  indeed  a  national  subject,  but  each 
state  have  better  means,  or  those  more  directly  within  their  reach,  to 
give  their  history  to  the  world.  Most  of  those  who  have  been  engag- 
ed since  the  days  of  the  revolution  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  or 
who  at  the  close  of  the  war  retired  to  private  life,  are  gone ;  a  few  only 
remain,  and  these  few  are  now  imploring  the  representatives  of  the 
people  for  some  remuneration  for  their  labours  and  privations 
endured  half  a  century  ago. 

The  generosity  of  the  nation  to  Lafayette,  has  met,  throughout  all 
this  republic,  with  universal  approbation.  The  old  soldiers  were 
willing  that  the  gallant  general  should  know  and  acknowledge  the 
32 


250  LECTURES  ON 

truth,  that  republics  were  not  always  ungrateful ;  yet  he  could  not 
comprehend  the  reasons  that  operated  in  preventing  his  own  officers 
from  coming  in  for  a  share  also.  It  is  but  seldom  that  legislative 
bodies  are  induced  to  do  generous  acts ;  these  ought  not  to  be  ex- 
pected of  them  often ;  but  when  such  acts  are  found  in  the  statute- 
books,  they  should  be  transferred  to  the  pages  of  history,  and  preser- 
ved as  a  perpetual  memorial,  from  generation  to  generation.  The 
liberality  of  the  United  States  to  Lafayette,  should  be  handed  down 
as  one ;  and  along  side  of  it  should  be  placed  the  pension  law,  which 
relieved  the  wretched  soldier  who  was  wasting  the  last  sand  of  his 
life  in  hopeless  indigence.  The  construction  of  this  act  for  the  re- 
lief of  these  war-worn  veterans  was  narrow,  cold,  and  cutting,  but  was 
dictated,  however,  by  prudential  motives,  and  perhaps,  on  the 
whole,  was  for  the  best,  as  parsimony  might  have  obtained  a  repeal 
of  the  law  which  distributed  the  bounty  that  justice  had  attempted  to 
secure.  Has  the  country  gone  far  enough  in  this  liberal  work  ?  Is 
there  not  a  debt  due  to  the  few  surviving  officers  of  the  revolution  1  If 
popularity  is  one  object  of  legislation,  (and  why  should  it  not  be, 
when  the  people  have  the  means  of  judging  as  well  as  their  rulers  ?) 
what  easier  or  more  direct  course  can  there  be  pointed  out  to  find  it, 
than  by  doing  an  act  of  justice  to  these  venerable  relicks  of  another 
and  a  former  age  1  Who  is  there  bold  enough  to  say  aught  against 
the  law  passed  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  soldier  ?  No  one,  in  any 
place,  and  at  any  time,  has  murmured  aught  against  this  deed  of  jus- 
tice and  honour.  Not  even  the  ambitious  politician,  haranguing  be- 
fore those  who  had  a  vote  to  give  only  upon  the  promise  of  retrench- 
ment and  reform,  ever  ventured  to  promise  that  he  would  use  his 
exertions  to  have  the  pension  law  repealed.  No  ;  nor  has  the  miser, 
when  nightly  visiting  his  hidden  stores,  cursing  taxation  for  every 
national  object,  ever  breathed  a  syllable  against  the  pension  law. 
The  language  of  his  heart  is,  demolish  the  capitol ;  sink  the  navy ; 
disband  the  army ;  raze  your  fortifications  to  the  ground ;  disperse 
your  national  legislature ;  secure  with  locks  and  bars  your  treasu- 
ry;  but  avarice  never  suggested  to  him  to  wish  for  the  repeal  of  the 
pension  law. 

Those  who,  in  cases  of  danger,  do  deeds  of  gallantry  in  feats  against 
the  enemies  of  our  country,  should  be  properly  maintained  while  liv- 
ing, and  duly  honoured  when  dead.  This  course  will  secure  a  suc- 
cession of  brave  defenders  of  our  country  in  every  emergency.  Not 
all  of  a  nation's  gratitude  and  bounty  should  be  lavished  on  a  few 
distinguished  individuals,  but  only  on  those  who  discharge  their  duty  in 
a  manner  worthy  notoriety.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  see  that 
they  do  not  suffer  for  the  comforts  of  life ;  the  next,  that  when 
dead  their  names  shall  be  recorded,  for  their  descendants  to  be 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  251 

able  to  look  back  on  their  deeds  and  services,  as  a  stimulus  for  them 
to  do  likewise  when  called  to  act  in  similar  situations.  Those 
worthy  of  more  consideration  for  services  and  sacrifices,  should  have 
monuments  erected  to  their  memories  in  places  where  the  citizens 
are  most  interested  in  their  fame— among  their  kindred  and  descen- 
dants. These  records,  history  should  take  in  charge,  and  give  such 
pages  in  her  annals  as  the  departed  may  deserve,  or  their  country's 
gratitude  decree.  We  are  doing  something  at  all  these,  for  the  old 
and  brave  defenders  of  their  country  ;  but  have  we  done  enough 
for  their  merits,  or  our  honour  ?  Montgomery  has  a  monumental 
slab  to  tell  his  merits,  although  his  ashes  reposed  for  forty  years 
unmarked  by  even  a  rude  stone.  Some  few  others  have  been  re- 
membered also ;  momentary  excitements  have  been  evinced,  and 
at  times  have  produced  honourable  results.  The  Bunker  Hill  asso- 
ciation is,  of  all  we  have  seen  or  heard  of,  the  best.  It  originated 
in  a  good  spirit ;  a  feeling  of  patriotism  and  gratitude  ;  and  is  pro- 
ceeding regularly  and  systematically.  The  monument  they  will 
erect,  rises  slowly  but  will  stand  permanently.  The  stone  and 
mortar  they  may  put  together  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  plan  sug- 
gested. The  society  is  hereafter  to  be  the  repository  of  all  the 
relicks  of  the  antiquities  of  our  country,  and  will  keep  a  perpetual 
vigil  upon  Time,  that  his  followers,  Carelessness  and  Oblivion,  may 
be  robbed  of  their  power  to  deface  his  records. 

The  treasures  of  a  nation  consist  in  the  virtue  and  knowledge 
they  possess,  and  in  the  character  of  their  fathers,  with  the  institu- 
tions they  left  to  their  posterity.  As  a  people  enjoy  the  property, 
it  becomes  a  matter  of  principle  to  preserve  the  memory  of  those 
from  whom  they  inherit.  Except  in  some  rare  instances,  the  nation 
at  large  cannot  take  care  of  the  fame  of  individuals.  In  small 
communities,  a  distinguished  individual  is  well  known  to  every 
member  of  the  body  politick ;  but  when  a  country  is  very  exten- 
sive, this  is  seldom  the  case.  The  reputation,  then,  of  our  worthies, 
in  every  high  place  in  life,  or  in  every  walk  of  intellect,  must  be 
preserved  by  those  of  the  kindred  and  friends,  and  people  dwelling 
near  the  scenes  of  his  actions,  and  within  the  atmosphere  of  his 
virtues.  The  smallest  ecclesiastical  or  civil  association  should  be 
impressed  with  this  duty.  Let  the  parishes  begin  ;  the  towns  and 
cities,  counties  and  states,  will  follow.  Some  record  should  be 
made  of  the  character  and  services  of  every  one  who  acted  his 
part  with  honour,  at  or  near  his  death.  This  obituary,  made  short 
and  simple  in  the  parish  record,  might  be  expanded  in  those  of  the 
town  or  city,  and  when  the  services  had  been  considerable,  they 
would  of  course  be  enlarged,  from  time  to  time,  as  their  merits 
were  more  fully  disclosed.  We  are  now  indebted  for  half  our  facts 


LECTURES  ON 

in  the  biography  of  our  countrymen,  particularly  those  of  an  early 
date,  to  some  pious  effusions  of  the  pastor  of  his  church,  at 
the  death  of  the  parishioner.  The  wish  to  know  and  be  known 
has  been,  and  ever  will  be,  one  of  the  great  springs  of  human 
action.  Hence,  in  ancient  days,  the  connexion  between  the  poet 
and  the  hero  was  sacred  ;  and  every  one  who  harnessed  himself  for 
the  fight,  knew  if  he  fought  well,  that  he  should  not  be  forgotten 
when  he  slept  in  death  ;  for  the  life  of  his  minstrel  was  not  subject 
to  the  chances  and  accidents  of  war.  These  minstrels  noted  every 
incident  of  battle,  and  their  productions  were  scattered  through 
Greece ;  and  were  chaunted  at  every  festival,  .until  Homer  came, 
and  by  his  all-powerful  grasp  of  genius,  compressed  them  into  one 
unextinguishable  flame  of  light  and  glory.  It  has  been  said,  that 
science,  in  ancient  days,  invented  lamps  which  burned  perpetually 
in  the  tombs  of  their  heroes.  This  was  only  the  metaphorical 
language  of  the  heroick  ages,  and  only  meant  to  convey  the  thought 
that  the  poets  and  historian  had  bathed  in  perpetual  light — that 
light  which  is  the  fire  of  their  own  genius—  the  worthies  they  chose 
to  commemorate  and  immortalize.  The  love  of  fame  is  as  ardent, 
and  as  universal  now,  as  it  was  then,  in  every  man ;  but  the  nations 
are  not  so  susceptible  now,  as  in  the  days  of  Greece  and  Rome,  or 
in  the  ages  of  chivalry.  The  local  importance  of  a  man  is  not, 
and  cannot  be  conveyed  to  the  remote  parts  of  a  distant  land,  and 
not  lose  something  of  its  altitude  and  dimensions.  A  political 
popularity  is  often  occasional  and  transitory,  and  like  a  burst  of 
smoke,  is  soon  swept  away  by  some  countervailing  current  of  the 
popular  breeze  ;  but  that  reputation  which  consists  in  thinking 
right  and  acting  well,  is  often  as  permanent  in  this  as  in  any  pre- 
vious age.  Every  day  some  new  road  is  opened  to  the  temple  of 
Fame,  and  the  votaries  are  as  ardent  as  ever.  The  ambitious 
man,  perhaps,  reaches  the  fane  first,  but  the  wise  one  secures  the 
niche  in  which  he  is  to  repose  forever.  The  politician  should  write 
his  deeds  upon  the  pillars  that  prop  the  state  ;  the  man  of  science 
and  letters  should  embalm  his  reputation  by  his  works  ;  and  when 
the  soldier  shall  be  inquired  for,  the  answer  should  be,  "  he  rests 
with  all  his  country's  honours  blest."  Saints  and  philanthropists, 
who  blush  at  the  reputation  of  their  own  good  deeds,  cannot  be 
forgotten,  for  Fame  has  them  in  special  charge ;  her  commands  will 
forever  be  imperative. 

"  Rise  Muses,  rise,  add  all  your  tuneful  breath, 
They  shall  not  sleep  in  darkness  and  in  death." 

The  best  of  all  honours  that  can  be  paid  the  dead,  is  a  grateful 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  233 

remembrance  of  their  services ;  but  as  we  are  constituted,  some 
sensible,  tangible  memorial,  is  indispensably  necessary  to  keep  their 
deeds  fresh  in  our  memories  ;  hence,  in  every  age  and  nation,  monu- 
ments have  been  erected,  and  inscriptions  written,  to  perpetuate  the 
fame  of  those  who  were  distinguished  among  men,  in  their  day 
and  generation. 

The  character  of  a  country  is  involved  in  the  honours  paid  their 
dead.  Immediately  after  the  death  of  Washington,  the  representa- 
tives in  Congress,  penetrated  by  grief  at  the  exit  of  this  great  man, 
and  feeling,  at  the  moment,  a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  for  his  long 
and  invaluable  services,  passed  a  resolution,  requesting  the  presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  solicit  Mrs.  Washington,  the  relict  of 
the  general,  to  consent  that  his  mortal  remains  should  be  at  the 
disposal  of  Congress.  The  answer  of  Mrs.  Washington,  to  this 
request,  is  delicate  and  dignified. 

The  seat  of  government  was  then  at  Philadelphia ;  but  was  to  be 
removed  the  next  year  to  Washington  City.  Only  one  wing  of  the 
capitol  was  then  built;  but,  in  the  plan  of  the  whole  building,  the 
rotunda  was  to  be  as  large  as  it  now  is;  and  in  the  ground  story  of 
this  was  to  be  a  tomb  for  the  burial  of  the  father  of  his  country. 
This  suggestion,  perhaps,  does  honour  to  their  feelings,  for  the 
moment,  but  is  no  credit  to  their  taste  and  judgement.  The  sleep- 
ing place  of  the  dead  should  be  in  consecrated  ground,  uncontami- 
nated  by  party  strife  or  unhallowed  bustle. 

The  subject,  after  the  first  moment  of  grief,  was  suffered  to  die 
away,  but  the  plan  remained  on  paper  5  and  when  the  dome  was 
erected,  after  the  wings  were  destroyed  by  fire,  the  foundation  of  it 
was  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  large  cemetery.  The  intentions  of 
Congress  were  not  carried  into  effect ;  the  mighty  shade  of  Wash- 
ington could  not  be  sufficiently  sanctified  to  the  living,  in  such  a 
place.  If  the  dead  walk  abroad  in  the  majesty  of  ethereal  nature, 
it  would  find  no  consolation  here.  The  crypt,  just  over  the  tomb, 
has,  until  the  past  year,  been  the  haunt  of  unclean  birds,  in  various 
forms.  To  have  placed  the  sacred  dust  of  Washington  in  such  a 
proximity  to  vice  and  profligacy,  would  have  been  high  profana- 
tion. It  is  well  that  the  country  have  yet  the  debt  of  erecting  for 
him  a  tomb  to  discharge,  because,  a  better  taste  has  sprung  up,  and 
been  cultivated ;  and  the  nation  must,  and  will  redeem  her  pledge, 
and  give  the  illustrious  hero  and  patriot  a  monument  worthy  his 
name  and  the  ability  of  the  country.  Europe  and  Asia  are  adorned 
with  numerous  monuments  of  departed  greatness.  The  classical 
tourist  finds  them  at  every  step  in  ancient  cities  and  villages  in 
Europe,  and  the  adventurous  traveller  in  the  east,  counts  the  pyra- 
Y 


0 


254  LECTURES  ON 

mids  and  temples  erected  to  the  honour  of  those  who  once  shook 
the  earth  with  their  power  and  pride— or  to  the  sons  of  genius,  who 
have  filled  the  world  with  their  glory.  Many  of  these  monuments 
have  been  spared  by  time,  who  leaves,  for  the  contemplation  of 
man,  only  a  few  relicks  of  past  ages.  These  are  the  records  that 
the  thinking  and  the  wise  are  anxious  to  read  and  understand,  while 
they  pass  by  myriads  of  living  men,  in  the  same  countries,  without 
interest  or  notice.  These  monuments,  covered  with  the  hoar  of 
ages,  and  enwrapt  in  a  spell,  never  cease  to  charm  the  man  of 
curiosity  and  taste ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  aid  the  learned  in 
penetrating  the  depths  of  ancient  lore.  They  are  the  remembran- 
ces of  what  have  been,  and  the  teachers  of  what  shall  be;  the  reve- 
lations of  past  ages,  and  the  prophecies  of  future  times.* 

It  has  been  the  fate  of  many  of  our  revolutionary  heroes,  who 
were  of  secondary  rank,  to  sink  into  the  grave  unhonoured  and  un- 
known. They  died  in  discharge  of  their  duties,  and  were,  perhaps, 
named  in  a  passing  remark,  and  then  thought  of  no  more  by  the 
great  mass  of  the  people.  This  was  in  some  measure  excusable, 
when  the  nation  was  struggling  for  existence,  and  all  classes  were 
devoting  their  lives  and  fortunes  to  the  sacred  cause  of  freedom. 
But  the  present  generation  are  at  ease,  and  in  the  enjoyment 
of  the  earnings  of  their  fathers,  and  therefore  ought  to  rescue  any 
deserving  name  from  oblivion.  We  are  a  generous  people  in  our 
sympathies,  and  have  mourned  over  the  fate  of  the  unfortunate 
Andre,  who  fell  a  victim  to  the  laws  of  nations,  in  the  prime  of  his 
life,  for  the  very  reason  that  his  case  has  been  presented  to  us  in 
every  form  of  prose  and  verse  by  those  of  his  own  country,  and  we 
read  all  they  write ;  while  one  of  our  kindred  and  brethren,  as 
young,  as  accomplished,  and  as  unfortunate  as  Andre,  has  hardly 
been  mentioned  by  an  obituarist  or  historian.  Nathan  Hale,  a  martyr 
in  the  cause  of  liberty,  is  a  name  almost  unknown  to  his  country- 
men ;  but  it  is  time  that  we  should  be  familiar  with  his  reputation. 
He  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  was  graduated  at  Yale  College, 
in  1773,  with  exalted  reputation  as  a  scholar,  and  a  lofty,  high- 
minded  man.  He  was  contemporary  with  Dwight,  Barlow,  and 
Humphreys,  who  often  mourned  his  untimely  fate,  and  cherished 
his  memory  by  toasts  and  eulogies.  Some  of  the  lines  of  Dwight,  on 
the  melancholy  occasion  of  Hale's  death,  are  still  extant ;  they  breathe 
the  affection  of  a  friend,  and  are  almost  too  true,  solemn,  and  pathetick, 
to  be  poetical.  It  was  a  dark  and  gloomy  period  in  the  history  of 
our  country;  and  he,  with  many  other  young  men,  caught  the  spark 
from  their  fathers,  in  fact,  anticipated  them  in  preparing  for  the  great 

*See  Appendix,  note  B. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  256 

struggle  that  was  to  ensue.  At  the  moment  the  war  broke  out,  he 
obtained  a  commission  in  the  Connecticut  line,  and  took  the  com- 
mand of  a  company  in  Col.  Knowlton's  regiment,  and  was  with  the 
army  in  their  memorable  retreat  from  Long  Island,  in  1776.  After 
Washington  had  succeeded  in  an  enterprise  so  much  favoured  by 
Providence,  he  was  for  a  while  ignorant  of  the  movements,  num- 
bers, or  disposition  of  the  British  army ;  and  anxious  to  get  all  pos- 
sible information  of  their  movements  or  intentions,  he  applied  to 
Col.  Knowlto^i  for  a  discreet,  intelligent,  enterprising,  and  bold  officer, 
to  penetrate  the  enemy's  camp,  and  bring  him  the  desired  informa- 
tion. Knowlton  made  known  the  request  of  the  commander  in 
chief  to  Hale,  who  was  the  charm  of  every  polished  circle,  and  the 
delight  of  the  army,  the  soul  of  honour,  and  "  bravest  among  the 
brave."  At  the  first  moment  it  was  named  to  him,  he  shrunk  at  the 
thought  of  becoming  a  spy ;  but  reflecting  that  it  was  Washington 
who  required  his  services,  and  his  country  that  was  to  be  benefited, 
perhaps  preserved,  by  his  accepting  the  arduous  and  perilous  ap- 
pointment, he  gave  up  all  scruples,  and  instantly  prepared  for  the 
adventure.  He  passed  in  disguise  to  Long  Island,  examined  the 
British  camp,  and  having  satisfied  himself  on  every  point  of  his 
mission,  he  was  apprehended  on  attempting  to  return ;  and  being 
carried  before  Sir  William  Howe,  and  finding  every  thing  was  known 
to  the  enemy,  he  boldly  declared  himself  and  his  object  in  visiting 
the  British  camp.  Howe,  without  a  trial,  or  even  the  forms  of  a 
court-martial,  ordered  him  for  execution  the  next  morning.  He  was 
confined  for  a  single  night,  and  had  only  an  opportunity  to  write  a 
few  lines  to  his  mother  and  sister.  As  he  had  led  a  religious  life, 
he  asked  for  a  clergyman  to  attend  him  in  his  dying  moments,  but 
this  request  was  denied,  and  he  was  not  permitted  to  have  even  a 
Bible  for  a  moment's  consolation.  A  guard  of  pitying  soldiers,  with 
the  provost-marshal,  attended  him  to  the  fatal  tree.  The  provost- 
marshal,  the  common  abhorrence  of  the  camp,  excited  a  more  than 
ordinary  share  of  disgust,  by  the  brutal  manner  in  which  the  wretch 
executed  his  victim.  The  firmness  and  composure  of  Hale  did  not  for 
an  instant  desert  him,  and  he  died  regretting  that  he  had  but  one  life 
to  lose  in  the  sacred  cause  of  his  country— the  cause  of  freedom  and 
the  rights  of  man.  The  veteran  soldiers  wept  like  children  at  his 
untimely  fate,  wondering  that  a  rebel  could  die  so  much  like  a  hero. 
The  letters  that  he  had  written  were  destroyed ;  for  they  were  so 
full  of  fortitude,  resignation,  and  consciousness  of  duty,  even  in  this 
great  sacrifice,  that  it  was  thought  dangerous  to  let  the  Americans 
know  that  they  had  ever  had  such  a  man.  When  the  news  of  his 
execution  reached  the  American  camp,  every  one,  from  the  com- 
mander in  chief  to  the  humblest  soldier,  looked  as  if  some  general 


256  LECTURES  ON 

calamity  had  overtaken  the  army.  If  his  death  was  just,  the  manner 
of  it  was  execrable ;  and  a  deep  and  settled  resentment  was  mingled 
with  their  grief,  which  was  not  forgotten  in  the  future  events  of  the 
.war.  It  was  policy,  perhaps,  in  the  methods  of  reasoning  in  the 
British  army,  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the  American  sol- 
diers, and  to  frighten  them  at  once  to  allegiance.  They  knew  not 
the  people  they  had  to  deal  with ;  for  they  were  not  to  be  shaken  by 
threats,  nor  awed  by  terror.  They  could  have  been  won  by  kind- 
ness, but  this  was  never  shown  them.  Lictors  and  the  axe  were 
too  honourable  for  men  who  had  dared  oppose  the  mandates  and  the 
arms  of  the  mother  country ;  the  accursed  tree  alone  would  answer. 
Little  did  the  executioners  of  Hale  think  that  such  an  awful  hour 
of  retribution  was  coming  as  did  come. 

It  is  valiant  to  fight  bravely  when  our  firesides  and  altars  are 
invaded.  He  who  falls  in  such  a  conflict,  sleeps  with  all  his  coun- 
try's honours  blest:  monuments  and  epitaphs  are  given  him,  and 
his  children  find  a  rich  inheritance  in  his  fame.  But  what  is  this  to 
staking  one's  life  and  reputation  together — and  staking  them  for 
love  of  country;  to  throw  off  the  garb  of  distinction,  which  is,  and 
should  be,  a  soldier's  pride,  and  covering  one's  self  in  disguise,  for 
the  purpose  of  visiting,  in  secresy,  an  enemy's  camp,  to  discover 
his  nakedness  or  strength,  not  for  one's  own  fame  or  emolument, 
but  for  the  general  good  ?,  It  is  above  the  common  martyr's  fame  ; 
above  his  glory.  It  is,  if  it  can  be  justified  at  all — and  nations, 
polished,  wise,  and  noble,  do  justify  it— the  highest  of  all  mortal  re- 
solves. To  die  is  nothing ;  to  sleep  in  the  bed  of  glory  is  a  common 
lot,  often  an  enviable  one,  and  should  never  be  contemplated  with 
horror  by  a  brave  man  who  draws  his  sword  in  a  good  cause ;  but 
to  think  of  the  chances  of  an  ignominious  death,  a  dishonoured  grave, 
closed  without  funeral  knell,  or  muffled  drum,  or  "volley  of  solemn 
soldiery  /"  Oh !  it  is  too  much  to  think  on ;  and  can  never  be  en- 
dured without  dismay,  unless  the  living  fire  of  patriotism  is  burning 
with  all  its  fierceness  and  unquenchable  intensity. 

The  execution  of  Hale  was  avenged  before  the  war  was  over,  by 
the  death  of  Major  Andre.  Justice  was  stern  and  inexorable  in  his 
fate ;  but  her  decrees  were  not  disgraced  by  brutality.  Andre  was 
tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  had  an  opportunity  to  defend  himself. 
His  time  was  protracted  beyond  that  usually  allowed  a  spy;  he  was 
treated  with  kindness;  allowed  to  communicate  with  his  friends; 
to  write  to  his  kindred ;  to  dispose  of  his  property;  to  do  every  thing 
but  escape  his  sentence,  which  the  laws  of  nations  would  not  suffer, 
and  the  severe  law  of  retaliation,  often  a  preventive  of  the  progress 
of  bloody  crimes,  forbade.  For  Andre's  fame  the  British  nation  have 
done  every  thing ;  reared  him  a  monument,  pensioned  his  mother 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE,     •  257 

and  sisters,  transported  his  bones  to  his  native  land,  and  laid  them 
in  the  tomb  of  royalty.  It  is  in  vain  that  we  ask  our  countrymen, 
where  sleep  the  ashes  of  Hale  ? 

The  gallant  Pole  must  not  be  forgotten :  Pulaski  was  as  chival- 
rous as  a  baron  of  romance.  He  landed  upon  our  shores  an  exile, 
and  threw  the  energies  of  his  character  into  our  cause— the  cause 
of  freedom  and  of  man.  He  preferred  the  wilds  of  America  to  the 
refinements  of  European  courts,  to  most  of  which  he  would  have 
been  welcome.  With  the  enthusiasm  of  a  crusader,  he  drew  his 
sword  in  our  cause.  Military  glory  and  love  of  freedom  were  the 
strong  passions  of  his  soul.  His  ancestors  were  soldiers  ;  and  ma- 
ny of  them  fell,  foremost  in  the  fight,  while  the  glow  of  early  man- 
hood was  upon  them,  and  slept  in  the  bed  of  honour.  He  felt,  and 
declared,  that  to  be  alive  with  a  head  white  with  the  snows  of  age, 
was  a  stain  on  his  family  name ;  and  he  feared,  in  the  wild  and 
romantick  valour  of  his  soul,  that  a  winding  sheet  unstained  with 
blood  would  be  disgraceful  to  him.  If  Pulaski  saw  not  the  close 
of  the  contest,  he  died  as  he  wished,  in  the  fury  of  the  fight,  and 
rests  in  his  grave  in  a  warrior's  shroud.  No  solemn  dirge,  no 
peaceful  requiem,  soothed  the  hero's  shade ;  the  hasty  funeral  rites 
of  the  battle-field  alone  were  his.  Such  honours  only  were  suited 
to  the  genius  of  the  dead.  His  monument  is  about  to  arise. 

Nor  shall  that  milder,  but  more  pure  and  lasting  light  of  bravery 
and  virtue  fade  from  our  gaze.  The  youthful,  patriot-warrior, 
Kosciusko.  will  forever  rank  high  among  our  revolutionary  wor- 
thies. He  was  devoted  to  arms  from  his  birth :  a  shield  was  his 
cradle,  and  the  instruments  of  war  were  his  playthings  in  childhood. 
In  the  joyous  days  of  youth,  the  gravity  of  years  was  on  his  brow. 
Nurtured  by  the  great,  yet  he  felt  for  the  humble.  Liberal  in  po- 
litical sentiment,  beyond  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  he  burst  from 
the  saloons  of  beauty  and  tne  sunshine  of  courts,  to  share  the  fare 
and  the  fate  of  a  republican  soldiery,  in  a  perilous  and  a  doubtful 
contest.  His  generous  bearing  and  high  attainments  secured  to  him 
the  confidence  and  admiration  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
north  and  south.  All  loved  him  as  a  brother;  and  Washington 
carried  him  in  his  bosom,  as  a  child  of  his  warmest  affections.  At 
the  close  of  the  conflict,  he  snatched  a  coal  from  off  our  altar  of 
freedom,  and  kindled  it  upon  that  of  his  own  country;  kindred 
spirits  gathered  around  him,  and  freedom,  for  a  while,  smiled  on 
their  efforts ;  but  the  time,  in  the  destiny  of  nations,  for  the  eman- 
cipation of  Poland,  had  not  come.  Kosciusko  survived  his  coun- 
try's second  thraldom,  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  the 
bosom  of  retirement— the  pride  of  nations,  and  an  honour  to  the 
human  race.  He  sleeps  with  the  mighty  dead  of  his  people ;  but, 


1* 

258  LECTURES  ON 

as  yet,  no  monument  marks  his  resting  place ;  the  honour  of  rear- 
ing the  first  pillar  to  his  name  must  be  claimed  by  us ;  but  it  did 
not  arise  from  a  resolve  of  Congress,  nor  from  a  statute  of  a  state 
legislature,  or  from  the  sympathy  of  compatriots ;  no — his  monu- 
ment sprang  up  from  the  spontaneous  resolve  of  a  generation,  born 
long  since  Kosciusko  left  our  shores;  from  a  body  of  youthful 
patriots,  devoted  to  the  attainments  of  science  and  the  practice  of 
arms,  for  the  future  defence  of  their  country;  for  the  cadets,  at 
West  Point  academy,  this  deed  was  reserved;  their  Campus  Mart  is 
was  his  beloved  retreat ;  here  he  meditated  new  deeds  for  himself. 
new  glories  for  Poland. 

Besides  the  good  and  great  La  Fayette,  there  are  others  among 
the  French  troops  came  to  our  aid,  that  should  not  be  forgot- 
ten. Several  never  returned  to  their  native  country ;  one  of  them 
is  the  subject  of  the  following  notice.  When  a  permanent  seat 
of  government  was  determined  on,  and  that  to  be  laid  out  on  the 
banks  of  the  Potomack,  an  engineer  of  talents  and  experience  was 
sought  for  by  Washington  for  this  service.  Pierre  C.  L'Enfant,  an 
officer  of  the  French  army,  who  had  come  to  our  shores  to  assist 
in  achieving  our  independence,  was  selected  by  the  president  to 
superintend  the  business.  His  views  were  on  a  most  magnificent 
scale,  and  those  of  his  great  employer  were,  perhaps,  equally 
expanded.  The  engineer  began  his  work  with  the  enthusiasm 
of  a  Frenchman,  and  identified  himself  with  the  future  glory  of 
the  federal  city ;  and  why  should  not  the  man  of  science  be  re- 
membered, as  well  as  the  patriot  and  politician  ?  He  knew  but  little 
of  the  elements  of  a  republick.  L'Enfant  was  held  in  high  con- 
sideration during  the  life  of  Washington,  Adams,  and  Jefferson. 
He  had  nothing  avaricious  in  his  nature,  but  only  wanted  honour- 
able employment  and  competent  means  of  subsistence. 

While  engaged  in  superintending  the  building  of  Fort  Warburton, 
now  Fort  Washington,  nine  miles  below  the  city  of  Washington, 
he  was  dismissed  from  the  publick  service.  The  scanty  means  of 
the  treasury  ill  comported  with  the  plan  lie  had  designed,  and  was 
then  proceeding  to  execute.  He  thought  that  the  fort  defending 
the  metropolis  of  this  great  republick,  should  be  on  a  scale  that 
imperial  engineers  should  admire,  and  those  of  our  country  should 
imitate  in  all  future  ages  of  their  greatness.  On  being  dismissed, 
his  proud  heart  was  near  breaking.  His  accounts  were  ordered  to 
be  audited  and  settled;  but  he  spurned  to  receive  the  amount  due  him, 
which  was  said  to  be  very  considerable.  The  country  owed  him 
employment ;  he  wanted  no  pension  ;  he  would  receive  no  wind- 
ing up  settlement  on  being  thrust  out  of  office.  The  country 
should  be  every  way  indebted  to  him,  was  his  mode  of  reasoning. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  259 

He  lived  several  years  after  he  was  deprived  of  his  employments ; 
and  still  in  the  city  he  had  planned.  He  was  proud  and  full  of  his 
wrongs ;  he  never  could  forgive  the  pitiful  spirit  that  deprived  him 
of  duties  to  perform,  and  means  to  live.  So  far  did  he  carry  this 
feeling,  that  he  never  would  lift  up  his  eyes  to  look  towards  the 
fort  he  had  been  building.  In  these  latter  days  he  was  seen  in  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  taking  his  long  walks  over  the  high  grounds  of 
the  city,  silent  and  alone— not  even  muttering  his  wayward  fancies, 
but  wearing  the  calm,  solemn,  dark  look  of  wounded  feeling  and 
inflexible  resentment.  In  the  independence  of  his  soul,  he  shrunk 
from  sympathy,  and  turned  with  a  sense  of  degradation  from  the 
offers  of  the  generous  and  kind  hearted.  For  years  he  wore  the 
same  thread-bare  long  French  coat,  and  thin  nankin  pantaloons, 
and  folded  his  arms  on  his  breast,  as  it  were  to  keep  the  citadel, 
the  heart  from  growing  callous,  or  being  overcome  by  its  own 
griefs  and  resentments.  The  people,  in  general,  of  Washington, 
thought  that  his  brain  was  touched  by  his  injuries.  Those  who 
knew  him  well,  knew  all  was  sound  there ;  the  disease  was  on  his 
heart.  His  great  friend,  and  revered  general,  was  now  dead ;  his 
ashes  were  reposing  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  those  who  had  come 
up  since,  knew  but  little  of  him.  L'Enfant  was  brave,  generous, 
and  manly,  to  the  last.  When  the  British  were  in  possession  of  the 
city,  and  most  of  the  inhabitants  had  fled  in  every  direction,  he 
went  about  in  every  street  and  square,  to  find  those  females  who 
could  not  fly,  or  had  courage  enough  to  stay ;  and  consoled  them  by 
assurance  that  the  enemy  would  not  disturb  them  ;  and  on  this  oc- 
casion seemed  to  wake  to  new  life  himself :  and  assuming  a  cheer- 
ful manner,  he  entertained  them  with  every  thing  a  Frenchman,  a 
wit,  and  a  soldier,  could  command,  to  make  them  tranquil  and  con- 
fiding. The  English  troops  knew,  from  his  martial  air,  that  the 
old  gray-haired  man  had  once  set  a  squadron  in  the  field  ;  and  they 
had  so  much  respect  for  the  veteran,  that  he  wandered  where  he 
pleased,  and  was  listened  to  with  attention  when  he  spoke.  He 
died  about  ten  years  since.  There  is  no  monument  erected  to  his 
memory;  no  epitaph  has  been  written  to  condense  his  history,  or  to 
evince  our  gratitude.  There  were  some  generous  spirits  in  the 
city,  who  strove  by  every  delicate  courtesy  to  soften  the  hardships 
of  his  closing  scenes,  and  in  some  measure  succeeded.  He  was  too 
sensitive  to  be  approached  directly;  but  true  generosity  never  hesi- 
tates to  assume  almost  any  shape,  to  do  good  to  the  unfortunate,  who 
still  preserve  a  lofty  bearing. 

It  is  now  but  little  more  than  half  a  century  since  the  first  settle- 
ments were  made  in  Kentucky  ;  and  now  the  whole  valley  of  the 
Mississippi  swarms  with  an  active  and  adventurous  population  en- 


260  LECTURES  ON 

joying  the  comforts  and  elegancies  of  life,  and  cultivating  the  arts, 
sciences,  and  letters,  with  zeal  and  success,  vying  with  her  elder 
sisters  of  the  republick  for  the  palm  in  improvements  and  taste. 
The  man  who  first  led  the  way  to  this  fruitful  land,  and  who 
built  the  first  habitation  for  civilized  man  in  the  wilderness  beyond 
the  mountains,  cannot  be  too  often  remembered,  or  too  much 
noticed.  The  history  of  Boone,  if  not  entirely  unique,  belongs  to 
the  romantick  spirit  of  the  early  ages.  A  short  sketch  of  him 
may  be  acceptable  to  many. 

He  was  born  in  Maryland,  hi  1746 ;  but  removed  to  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia,  when  only  eighteen  years  of  age.  Here  he 
led  the  life  of  a  hunter,  then  a  profession  known  and  respected  by 
the  agriculturists  and  other  classes  of  society.  He  loved  the  rifle 
and  the  flaying  knife  more  than  all  the  implements  of  peaceful, 
quiet  industry.  The  dangers  of  such  a  life  had  no  terrors  for  him ; 
the  risks  incident  to  it  gave  a  zest  to  existence,  known,  perhaps, 
only  to  the  brave  and  enterprising  hunter  himself;  but  can  in  part 
be  imagined  by  those  acquainted  with  his  character.  In  1769, 
Boone  extended  his  travels  to  Kentucky.  If  he  was  not  the  first 
hunter  who  had  ventured  so  far,  he  was  the  first  who  induced  his 
countrymen  to  follow  him,  in  order  to  make  a  settlement  in  these 
remote  wilds.  From  1769  to  1775,  he  visited  the  country,  and  ex- 
plored it  pretty  thoroughly,  regardless  of  the  hardships  and  depri- 
vations he  endured,  and  in  this  latter  year  brought  his  family  from 
Virginia,  with  others,  to  plant  a  colony  in  a  plain  now  known  by 
the  name  of  Boonesborough.  He  was  made  a  captain  under  the 
last  royal  governor  of  Virginia,  but  his  native  elements  were  all  in 
favour  of  freedom ;  and  he,  or  some  of  his  followers,  were  camped 
on  the  spot  where  the  largest  city  of  Kentucky  now  stands,  when 
the  news  of  the  first  act  of  the  revolutionary  conflict  reached  them. 
Fired  by  the  same  spirit  which  animated  their  distant  Atlantick 
brethren,  they  shouted  for  the  fight,  and  consecrated  the  spot  by 
giving  it  the  name  of  Lexington,  the  name  of  that  sacred  ground 
which  drank  the  first  blood  that  was  shed  in  the  war  of  indepen- 
dence. The  personal  conflicts,  the  hair-breadth  escapes,  the  suc- 
cessful onsets,  the  repeated  victories  of  Boone,  would  make  a  volume. 
These  will  no  doubt  be  written;  but  there  can  be  no  excuse  necessary 
for  giving  him  a  passing  notice  when  his  deeds  are  so  directly  be- 
fore us.  It  is  said  by  those  who  knew  him,  that  there  was  nothing 
fierce  or  savage  in  his  nature ;  no  love  of  blood,  no  passion  for  con- 
test in  his  disposition ;  but  he  loved  freedom,  loneliness,  and  enter- 
prise. He  feared  no  hardships,  and  shrunk  from  no  dangers, 
when  necessity  or  duty  prompted  him  to  act ;  yet  was  at  all  times 
the  most  cautious  of  men.  He  met  the  wiles  of  the  Indian  with 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  261 

still  greater.  At  times  they  took  him  for  a  good,  and  at  other  times, 
for  an  evil  spirit.  When  they  thought  they  had  him  in  their  power, 
he  was  gone ;  and  often  when  they  believed  he  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hills,  or  over  the  prairies,  he  was  upon  them,  to  disperse 
or  destroy  them.  Their  arrows  did  not  reach  him,  nor  their  balls 
wound  him,  and  at  last  they  became  convinced  that  "he  bore  a 
charmed  life." 

Boone  had  but  little  acquaintance  with  books;  his  study  was  na- 
ture and  man.  He  abhorred  that  state  of  society  which  was  too 
much  trammelled  by  rules,  and  enslaved  by  fashion.  The  forest, 
the  river,  the  prairie,  the  buffalo,  and  even  savage  man,  had  more 
charms  for  him  than  villages  or  cities.  It  was  refreshing  to  his 
soul  to  breathe  an  air  untainted  by  other  breaths.  He  loved  room ; 
hated  all  restraint,  grew  restless  in  a  country  where  hunting  grounds 
were  turned  to  fertile  fields ;  and  felt  half  his  manhood  depart  from 
him  in  a  society  whore  lie  could  not  level  his  rifle  to  avenge  his 
own  wrongs ;  yet  Daniel  Boone  was  a  good  neighbour,  and  a  fast 
friend ;  discreet,  charitable,  hospitable,  and  affectionate ;  but  he 
enjoyed  the  musings  of  the  deep  solitudes,  and  felt  the  conscious- 
ness of  his  own  superiority  in  proportion  as  he  felt  the  necessity  of 
relying  on  his  own  resources. 

A  world  of  anecdotes  are  afloat,  which  show  his  great  traits  of 
character :  his  daring,  his  fortitude,  his  perseverance,  and  elasticity. 
It  is  a  well  authenticated  fact,  that  once  being  pursued  by  the  In- 
dians, he  came  to  a  precipice,  on  the  borders  of  a  river ;  when  his 
pursuers  were  close  on  his  back,  he  leaped  from  the  bank,  the  astound- 
ing height  of  fifty  feet,  before  he  reached  the  light  and  wavy  top  of  a 
tree,  whose  lithe  branches  had  been  climbing  for  years  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  sun,  above  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  This  springy 
bed  received  him  as  he  spread  himself  out ;  and  he  let  himself  down 
from  branch  to  limb,  until  he  fell  to  the  margin  of  the  stream,  with 
only  a  few  scratches,  and  some  little  derangement  to  his  moose-skin 
dress.  He  forded  the  stream,  and  then  poised  his  rifle  in  defiance 
at  his  pursuers.  The  most  fierce  and  adventurous  of  the  children 
of  the  forest  gazed  with  wonder  at  this  feat,  and  set  down  his  suc- 
cess to  preternatural  power ;  but  Boone  knew  his  fate  if  taken ;  the 
stake,  the  fagot,  the  slow-consuming  fire,  with  every  insult  savage 
ingenuity  could  devise,  or  ferocity  suggest ;  and  he  preferred  the 
chance  of  the  leap  to  the  certainty  which  would  follow  capture. 
The  leap  could  be  only  death,  the  capture  torment  and  death  to- 
gether. 

The  sagacity  of  Boone  in  making  his  pathway  in  the  forest  was 
superiour  to  his  great  teachers,  the  Indians.  In  this  science  they 
frequently  yielded  to  his  superiority.  The  stars  that  lighted  his 


262  LECTURES  ON 

path,  and  directed  his  course,  seemed  to  shed  their  influence  on  his 
mind ;  for  by  them  he  counted  the  long  hours  of  the  night  with 
more  than  Chaldean  accuracy.  This  wandering  life  kept  his  mind 
bright  and  active.  His  recollection  was  so  perfect,  that  for  twenty 
years  or  more,  after  he  had  blazed  a  tree,  or  marked  it  with  his 
name,  he  would  remember  where  it  stood,  even  if  fallen,  by  its  stump, 
and  the  make  of  the  land  around  it ;  and  sometimes  when  his  opinion 
was  disregarded,  as  being  thought  impossible  that  he  should  remem- 
ber, on  removing  or  turning  the  log  from  it,  proofs  of  his  correctness 
became  visible. 

In  process  of  time,  the  very  wilderness  he  first  subdued  became 
too  populous  to  suit  his  taste  and  habits ;  and  he  felt  himself  an- 
noyed at  the  whole  mass  of  laws  the  progress  of  civilization  re- 
quired, and  which  were  enacted.  The  disputes  respecting  bounda- 
ries ;  the  quarrels  about  meum  and  tuum,  gave  him  distress ;  for  he 
remembered  the  time  when  all  was  mine,  and  when  miles  and  acres 
were  not  thought  of,  and  he  could  not  bear  to  mention  feet  and 
inches.  Getting  involved  in  some  of  these  disputes  about  boundaries, 
and  finding  no  longer  that  reverence  which  was  once  paid  him  as 
a  patriarch  and  a  leader,  he,  in  the  language  of  a  border  people, 
pulled  up  stakes,  and  took  up  his  line  of  march  for  Missouri.  In 
Kentucky,  he  had  seen  the  wilderness  blossom  like.the  rose,  where 
he  once  strayed  as  the  only  white  man  ;  but  he  did  not  take  delight 
in  walking  in  the  garden,  and  in  cultivating  flowers.  He  prefer- 
red Diana  of  the  chase,  to  Flora,  Ceres,  or  the  whole  train  of  the 
divinities  of  civilization  and  taste. 

Such  a  life,  it  cannot  be  contended,  gave  either  refinement  or 
grace,  or  letters  or  science,  to  the  man ;  but  it  gave  a  peculiarity 
and  an  elevation  to  his  character,  that  all  the  courts  of  Europe  could 
not  teach.  He  was  not  destitute  of  letters  or  numbers;  indeed,  he 
had  enough  of  each  for  all  his  purposes ;  to  which  he  added  a  science 
which  is  only  learnt  in  such  a  school  as  his,  a  familiarity  with  all 
the  indices  of  nature,  whether  they  related  to  the  formation  of  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  the  flow  of  the  river,  the  growth  of  the  forest, 
or  the  haunts  and  tracks  of  animals.  He  followed  with  more  than 
ordinary  human  sagacity  the  fox  to  his  den,  the  bear  to  his  cavern, 
and  the  beaver  to  his  dam.  To  prove  to  himself  that  he  had  not 
lost  his  skill  with  his  rifle,  he  shot,  with  a  single  ball,  the  humming 
bird,  as  he  sucked  the  opening  flowers,  and  spread  his  tiny  wings, 
and  presented  his  exquisite  colours  to  the  sun;  and  brought  down 
the  soaring  eagle  as  he  poised  in  majesty  over  his  head,  disdaining 
the  power  of  the  nether  world.  In  the  ungoverned  spirit  of  the 
immeasurable  wilderness,  he  reasoned,  he  felt,  and  acted,  as  "  the 
monarch  of  all  he  surveyed."  To  such  a  man,  the  soft  allurements  of 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  288 

polishod  society  would  be  less  attractive  than  the  beauty  of  the  in- 
s.cfs  wing,  or  the  "slight  hair  bell,"  which  he  had  trodden  under 
foot,  or  those  immense  regions  of  flowers,  that  had  for  successive 
ages  wasted  their  sweetness  on  the  desert  air.  Civilized  man 
has  no  standard  by  which  he  can  measure  the  operations  of  such  a 
mind  ;  he  must  go  back  to  primitive  ages  to  find  a  parallel ;  and  then 
strip  the  travels  of  Theseus,  and  the  labours  of  Hercules,  of  all  the 
monstrous  fictions — and  what  would  the  remainder  be  in  comparison 
with  the  adventures  and  hardships  of  Boone.  The  whole  country 
which  these  demi-gods  of  antiquity  traversed,  did  not  extend  so  far 
as  one  of  Boone's  hunting  excursions.  Bordering  upon  eighty  years 
of  age,  Boone  died  in  the  interiour  of  Missouri,  having  known  but 
little  of  the  decay  of  faculties,  corporal  or  mental.  In  the  language 
of  political  economy,  he  knew  nothing  of  the  powers  of  accumu- 
lating. He  thought  the  whole  extent  of  the  continent  to  the  Paci- 
fick  his  territory,  and  intended  to  push  on  to  its  confines,  as  neigh- 
bours, within  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  began  to  trouble  him ;  or  until 
he  should  find  a  grave  in  which  his  bones  might  moulder  with  those 
of  the  buffalo  he  had  chased  to  the  farthest  west ;  but  his  fame  will 
not  go  down  as  the  fame  of  the  mighty  lords  of  the  forest,  with 
whom  he  so  often  struggled ;  for  he  has  left  children  among  the 
reputable  of  the  land,  and  connexions  or  friends  in  many  places, 
who  will  cherish  his  memory,  treasure  up  the  incidents  of  his  life, 
now  living  only  in  tradition,  and  give  them  to  the  historian,  the 
novelist,  the  painter,  and  the  sculptor,  to  transmit  them  to  posterity 
in  the  forms  of  truth  and  fancy,  and  perpetuate  his  name  as  the 
great  pioneer  of  the  west. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  conflict,  the  militia  of 
the  several  states  were  organized  by  their  respective  governments, 
with  more  or  less  attention  to  discipline,  to  be  prepared  for  future 
attacks  from  without,  or  commotions  within.  The  political  atmos- 
phere was  not,  as  yet,  serene  or  settled,  and  each  state  was  watch- 
ful of  her  own  security  and  quiet.  After  the  adoption  of  the  fede- 
ral constitution,  there  was  a  national  organization  of  the  militia,  on 
paper;  but,  in  truth,  it  was  nothing  more.  It  answered  merely  as 
some  guide  in  drafting  men,  if  they  should  have  been  wanted  for 
service,  but  the  nation  did  nothing  for  their  instruction  or  discipline. 
The  sagacious  mind  of  Washington  perceived  that  our  martial 
spirit  would  soon  wane  in  days  of  peace,  and  the  knowledge  of 
tacticks  in  the  country  be  lost;  he,  therefore,  recommended  the 
founding  of  a  military  school,  for  the  instruction  of  the  youths  of 
our  country  in  the  science  and  the  art  of  war,  on  an  extended  plan, 
after  the  military  academies  of  the  old  world ;  but  so  much  was  to  be 
done,  to  carry  into  effect  our  newly  adopted  government,  and  an 


264  LECTURES  ON 

Indian  war  still  hanging  on  our  borders,  that  it  was  not  estab- 
lished in  his  day.  Mr.  Adams,  his  successor,  still  urged  the  neces- 
sity of  such  a  school ;  but  the  agitation  in  this  country,  from  the 
French  revolution,  delayed  the  execution  of  the  plan  again.  It  was 
reserved  for  Mr.  Jefferson,  the  third  president  of  the  United  States, 
to  see  a  military  academy  commenced.  It  was,  in  him,  more  a 
passion  for  science,  than  a  love  of  the  art  of  war.  The  beginnings 
were  small,  and  the  school,  for  several  years,  although  it  is  said  it 
was  well  managed,  did  not  attract  much  publick  notice ;  business  of 
all  sorts  was  brisk  in  this  country,  and  most  of  the  enterprising  young 
men  were  engaged  in  mercantile  or  professional  pursuits. 

The  plan  fixed  upon  for  the  site  for  this  institution,  was,  in  all  re- 
spects, the  most  suitable  that  could  be  found  in  the  country.  West 
Point  was  an  important  station  during  the  revolutionary  war.  This 
point  is  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Hudson,  about  sixty  miles  from  the 
city  of  New- York  As  you  pass  up  the  river,  its  appearance  has 
nothing  more  striking  in  it,  than  many  other  views  on  this  majes- 
tick  and  picturesque  river ;  but,  on  ascending  the  bank,  the  panora- 
ma is  noble ;  a  plain,  of  about  seventy  acres,  is  opened  before  you ; 
the  river  flows  on  the  east  and  north  of  you,  and  is  wide  and  deep ; 
a  ridge  of  mountains  stretches  from  the  south  to  the  northwest,  of 
various  heights,  from  five  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  feet.  The 
up-river  view  is  very  extensive  ;  steam  boats  are  clearly  seen  ten  and 
twelve  miles  off.  The  city  of  Newburgh,  situated  at  the  distance  of 
nine  miles  from  West  Point,  is  in  full  view.  The  impression  on  the 
mind,  as  you  look  around  you,  on  this  point,  is  that  of  a  vast  thea- 
tre, peculiarly  fitted  for  defence,  safety,  and  that  deep  solitude,  so 
necessary  to  bring  down  the  attention  of  youth  to  the  severity  of 
profound  studies.  There  is  something  classical,  as  well  as  romantick, 
in  the  situation.  The  vestiges  of  other  days  are  still  visible  there ; 
among  which,  are  the  ruins  of  an  old  fort,  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  those  of  fort  Putnam,  about  half  a  mile  distant  from  the 
river,  on  a  high  hill,  commanding,  in  military  language,  the  whole 
plain  below.  From  this  rocky  eminence,  issues  a  fine  stream  o. 
pure,  cold  water,  which,  being  directed  to  a  reservoir,  is  conducted 
by  pipes  to  the  valley,  in  great  abundance,  for  the  use  of  all  the 
inhabitants.  West  Point  is  not  only  beautiful,  and  convenient  for 
the  purpose  to  which  it  is  devoted,  but  is  one  of  the  most  healthy 
places  in  our  country.  The  buildings  for  the  use  of  the  cadets 
are  large  and  convenient,  but,  as  yet,  are  not  sufficiently  numerous 
for  two  hundred  and  eighty  cadets,  and  their  instructors ;  but  the 
good  feelings  of  the  people  are  with  this  institution,  and  the  govern- 
ment will  not  fail  to  patronize  it. 

The  cadets  are  now  under  the  best  of  all  possible  regulations. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  265 

The  constant  occupation  of  their  time  has  a  most  salutary  effect  on 
their  habits,  and  intellectual  as  well  as  corporal  discipline.  Their 
temperance  generally  lasts  through  life ;  for  they  acquire,  with  the 
practice  of  abstemiousness,  the  scorn  of  indulgence.  The  Spartan 
severity  in  discipline  is  mental  as  well  as  corporal.  The  course  of 
studies  is  of  a  high  order,  and  well  calculated  to  give  firmness  and 
tone  to  the  mind,  and  is  so  perfectly  absorbing,  as  to  prevent  those 
dreamy  wanderings,  so  enchanting  to  the  young  in  the  bowers  of 
taste  and  the  halls  of  learning.  The  votaries  of  science  and  the  art 
of  war,  have  no  time  to  court  the  muses  or  invoke  their  inspiration. 
The  knowledge  acquired  at  this  institution  is  as  useful  in  peace  as 
in  war.  As  civil  engineers,  the  graduates  of  West  Point  are  of  in- 
calculable advantage  to  our  country ;  an  immense  territory  is  yet 
to  be  surveyed,  and  its  capacities  ascertained.  The  uses  of  this  in- 
stitution are  not  confined  to  its  members ;  the  fine  examples  it  has 
set  in  mental  and  corporal  education,  have  been  extended  to  other 
institutions  of  instruction.  It  has  solved  the  problem  in  the  minds 
of  fathers — how  much  labour  will  the  youthful  mind  bear?  and  has 
taught  tender  mothers,  that  their  darling  sons  may  endure  hard 
inarches,  and  sleep  "  on  the  tented  field,"  without  injury  to  their 
growth  or  beauty ;  for  healthier  young  men  I  never  saw  than  the 
cadets  of  West  Point ;  if  they  lose  by  their  discipline  something  of 
the  bloom  and  ruddiness  of  youth,  it  is  more  than  made  up  in  the 
firm  step  and  strengthened  muscle  seen  in  the  elastick  movements 
of  the  corps  in  their  military  evolutions.* 

The  cadets  are  arranged  on  the  list  of  honour,  according  to  their 
merits.  This  is  an  admirable  device ;  it  produces  emulation,  breaks 
down  the  aristocracy  which  finds  its  way  every  where,  even  in  our 
republican  country,  and  builds  up  an  order  of  intellectual  merit. 
Genius  and  application  make  out  their  own  patents  of  nobility. 

The  physical  force  of  our  country  is  incalculably  great.  It  is 
science  alone  we  want,  to  be  irresistible  to  all  invaders ;  and  through 
the  medium  of  this  school  we  are  to  obtain  it.  To  be  convinced 
that  it  is  a  school  of  morals  and  manners,  as  well  as  of  science,  one 
need  only  reside  a  few  days  at  West  Point,  and  become  acquainted 
with  the  officers  of  the  institution.  A  warm  and  deep  interest  in  the 
academy,  and  a  high  respect  and  friendship  for  the  superintendent 
of  it,  united  to  many  pleasant  recollections  of  attentions  from  his 
officers,  induced  me  to  write  out  a  pretty  full  account  of  it;  but  in 
looking  over  the  hasty  sketches  I  have  made  of  other  and  older  insti- 
tutions, I  was  constrained  to  curtail  my  remarks,  and  to  content 
myself  with  the  reflection,  that  it  will  not  want  for  faithful  and 
able  historians. 

*  See  Note  C.,  Appendix. 
Z  34 


LECTURES  ON 


LECTURE  XV. 


Yesterday,  while  I  was  atthe  metropolis,  the  news  of  a  naval  victory  was 
received.  To  have  witnessed  the  effect  that  it  had  on  all  classes  in  society, 
would  have  annihilated  all  your  old  prejudices  against  a  navy.  The  streets 
•were  thronged  with  people,  walking1  briskly,  or  stopping  to  reciprocate  con- 
gratulations ;  men  shook  hands,  who  never  had  spoken  to  each  other  before ; 
joy  sparkled  in  every  eye ;  every  bosom  palpitated  with  delight ;  pride  swell- 
ed in  every  vein.  Every  one  seemed  to  look  on  his  neighbour,  as  a  braver 
and  a  better  man  than  he  had  ever  before  thought  him ;  every  sailor,  as  he 
passed  the  streets' was  greeted  with  repeated  cheers.  I  started  for  home ;  and, 
as  I  rode  through  the  country,  every  oak  1  saw,  I  said  to  myself,  that  will  do 
for  ship-timber ;  every  pine  seedling,  growing  up  for  ornament,  I  was  anxious 
to  see  ripened  into  "the  mast  of  some  great  ammiral."  The  naval  actions  of 
all  ages  and  nations  crowded  on  my  mind— Phoenician,  Greek,  •  Dutch, 
French,  English — even  the  unequalled  fights  of  our  Saxon,  and  Danish  an- 
cestors, with  their  "  Steeds  of  the  Ocean,"  came  rushing  to  my  mind ;  memory 
seemed  to  give  up  her  dead  for  the  glory  of  the  occasion.  As  I  passed  through 
Marblehead,  the  welkin  \vas  ringing  with  shouts  of  victory ;  mothers  joined  in 
the  general  joy,  whose  sons  were  in  the  fight — not  knowing  whether  they 
were  living  or  dead.  The  Ocean-Spartan  matron  had  no  tear  to  shed  ;  there 
was  no  cowardice  or  disgrace  in  the  battle;  if  the  boy  was  dead,  he  died  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty.  As  I  reached  my  native  village,  parson  Make- 
peace was  in  the  pulpit,  ascribing  glory  to  God  for  the  victory.  The  chair- 
man of  the  selectmen  made  a  speech ;  I  followed  him ;  heaven  only  knows 
what  I'said — but  the  speech  was  applauded,  .until  the  old  meeting  house 
shook  to  its  centre.  Never  tell  me  again,  that  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  life 
will  make  a  hero ;  they  are  created  by  such  moments  of  ecstasy  as  these. 
There  is  not  a  creature,  who  bears  the  image  of  man,  in  the  whole  of  the 
United  States,  however  tame  his  blood,  that  would  not  fight  like  a  lion,  if 
called  into  action  at  this  moment.  I  believe,  in  my  soul,  that  this  naval  vic- 
tory has  exalted  the  character  of  every  man,  woman,  and  child,  in  the  whole 
country ;  and,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression— and  what  shall  I  not  be 
allowed  in  this  moment  of  holy  enthusiasm? — it  will  give  an  impulse  to 
unborn  ages. 

Jonathan's  letter  to  his  cousin  Buckskin. 

OUR  country  not  only  puts  in  her  claim  for  her  military  prowess, 
but  also  for  her  naval  feats  of  skill  and  bravery,  from  the  early 
days  of  our  existence.  The  colonial  settlements  were  stretched 
along  the  seaboard,  through  many  degrees  of  latitude,  and  fine  rivers 
were  found  navigable  far  into  the  interior.  The  ocean  was,  at  first, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  267 

looked  to  for  a  part  of  their  sustenance,  and  soon  regarded  as  one 
of  the  means  of  prosperity  God  and  nature  had  put  into  their 
hands,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  their  wealth,  strength,  and  hap- 
piness. They  coasted  from  one  settlement  to  another,  for  trade  and 
friendly  intercourse.  As  early  as  1635,  before  the  stump  from 
which  the  first  tree  was  cut,  had  withered,  our  ancestors  be»;m  the 
business  of  ship-building.  In  August,  of  that  year,  a  ship  was  built 
at  Marblehead,  and  called  the  Desire.  This  vessel  was  employed, 
probably,  as  a  regular  trader  between  this  country  and  England ;  for, 
in  1640,  March  1st,  the  Desire,  (says  Winthrop,  in  his  journal,)  a 
ship  built  at  Marblehead,  went  from  hence,  (Boston,)  and  arrived 
at  Graves-end,  in  the  Thames,  in  twenty-three  days — a  proof  that 
this  vessel  was  a  good  sailer,  however  fortunately  the  winds  might 
have  blown.  Soon  after  this  period,  from  the  abundance  of  timber, 
vessels  were  built  in  this  country,  by  agents,  for  the  commercial  pur- 
poses of  Great  Britain.  Models  and  master-builders  were  sent  out 
very  early ;  and,  at  no  time,  have  the  colonists  been  backward  in 
learning  all  the  wisdom  of  the  mother  country,  in  whatever  shape 
it  was  to  be  found. 

In  1690,  when  the  first  expedition  was  fitted  out  against  Canada, 
the  New-England  states  furnished  a  large  proportion  of  the  trans- 
ports ;  and,  long  before  this  period,  every  colony  had  one,  or  more, 
ships  of  war,  of  considerable  force.  In  the  attack  on  Canada,  after 
this,  in  1710  and  1717,  Massachusetts  furnished  the  transports,  for 
troops  and  provisions. 

In  the  war  of  1745,  it  is  said,  by  several  writers,  and  lately  men- 
tioned in  that  excellent  collection  of  facts,  Walsh's  Appeal,  that  the 
colonies  had  four  hundred  privateers  on  the  ocean.  In  this  calcu- 
lation, the  writer  must  have  included  all  the  small  boats,  which  went 
out  to  harrass  the  French  commerce.  In  this  war  there  were  se- 
veral hard  fights,  and  many  prizes  taken.  Capt.  Rouse,  of  the  Shir- 
ley galley,  of  twenty  guns,  in  company  with  Capt.  Cleves,  brought 
in  eight  ships,  prizes  taken  from  the  French,  with  their  cargoes, 
"  ninety  thousand  mud-fish,"  meaning  what  we  now  call  bank-fish. 
For  this  exploit,  Rouse  was  made  Post-Captain  in  the  British  navy. 
In  October,  the  same  year,  the  Bomb  Jvetch,  commanded 'by  Capt, 
Spry,  took  a  French  ship  of  sixteen  guns.  These  were  the  most 
conspicuous  cases;  but  there  were  many  captures,  which  history 
has  not  recorded,  and  which  I  should  have  been  able  to  have  ob- 
tained from  the  records  of  the  Admiralty  court,  of  Boston,  the  only 
one  then  in  New-England,  had  not  the  records  been  carried  off  by 
the  judge  of  Admiralty,  in  1775,  who  was  a  tory ;  and  most  of  the 
cases  were  not  named  in  other  places.  At  the  time  of  taking  Louis- 


288  LECTURES  ON 

bourg,  the  naval  force  of  the  provincials  was  highly  respectable.    It 

would  not,  perhaps,  be  tedious  to  name  it. 

Ships — Massachusetts  Frigate,  Capt.  Tyng,  20  guns. 

Cesar,  Capt.  Snelling, 20 

Shirley  Galley,  Capt.  Rouse.    -      -  20 

Snow— Prince  of  Orange,  Capt.  Smithurst,  -  16 

Brig — Boston  Packet,  Capt.  Fletcher,         ...  16 

Sloops ,  Capt.  Donahew,  -  12 

,  Capt.  Saunders,      -  8 

,  Capt.  Bosch,  8 

Rhode  Island  ship,  hired  for  the  purpose,  and 

commanded  by  Capt.  Griffin,         ....  20 
From  Connecticut,  there  were  two  armed  vessels, 

the  Thomson,  ..-.._  16 

and  the  Colony  Sloop, 16 

New-Hampshire  sent  her  colony  sloop,  as  did  Rhode  Island,  which 
were  probably  of  about  sixteen  guns  each. 

The  fisheries  were  nurseries  of  this  navy.  These  fisheries  had 
been  carried  on  to  a  great  extent,  for  several  years.  In  1732,  the 
town  of  Marblehead,  alone,  had  one  hundred  and  twenty  fishing 
schooners.  Many  other  towns  on  the  seaboard,  also,  were  engaged 
in  the  fisheries,  as  well  as  Marblehead,  but  not  to  the  same  extent. 
The  whaling  fishery  was  then  pursued  by  many  on  Cape  Cod,  and 
soon  afterward  at  Nantucket.  These  fishermen  were  the  hardiest 
of  all  the  sailors  in  the  world.  The  employment,  with  them,  was  a 
matter  of  choice,  not  of  necessity,  as  land  was  yet  plenty  in  the  mar- 
ket. These  sons  of  Neptune  were  accustomed  to  all  climates,  from 
the  equator  to  the  Frozen  Ocean.  They  feared  no  enemies,  nor 
storms ;  and  the  man  who  had  harpooned  a  whale,  was  not  to  be 
daunted  at  the  appearance  of  any  other  foe. 

In  the  war  of  1755  to  1763,  there  was  a  great  call  for  our  sailors, 
not  only  on  the  ocean,  but  on  the  lakes.  Privateers  were  making 
depredations  on  the  French  commerce  in  the  West  Indies,  and  in 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  ship  carpenters  and  seamen, 
built  and  manned  the  naval  force  on  the  lakes.  Besides  several 
sloops  of  considerable  size,  there  were  built  in  two  seasons  on  Lake 
George,  more  than  a  thousand  boats,  capable  of  carrying  from  twenty 
to  thirty  men  each,  besides  others  for  the  artillery,  of  which  in  the 
attack  on  Ticonderoga  by  Abercrombie,  there  was  a  very  consider- 
able force.  These  boats  were  built  with  timber  much  of  it  brought 
a  mile  or  more,  on  the  shoulders  of  the  labourers  who  constructed 
this  armament.  The  wrecks  of  some  of  them  may  now  be  seen  at 
the  bottom  in  the  clear  waters  of  that  beautiful  lake. 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  269 

Our  people  lost  none  of  their  enterprise  from  the  peace  of  1763  to 
the  commencement  of  hostilities  in  1775 ;  in  fact  these  twelve  years 
were  full  of  exertion  in  extending  our  commerce  and  settling  the 
frontiers. 

After  the  war  had  begun  in  earnest,  Washington  gave  commission 
and  authority  to  take,  and  bring  in,  such  vessels  as  our  cruisers 
could  capture,  belonging  to  the  British  government,  on  the  high  seas. 
By  virtue  of  this  authority,  several  rich  prizes  were  taken,'  some  of 
them  loaded  with  munitions  of  war,  which  came  timely  to  the 
American  army.  Severals  vessels  being  private  property  which 
had  been  taken  by  these  cruisers,  were  promptly  released.  Con- 
gress sanctioned  his  proceedings  as  justifiable  and  proper,  and  at 
once  turned  their  attention  to  a  naval  force.  In  1776,  they  appoint- 
ed twenty-four  captains  of  the  navy,  and  a  few  lieuteutants,  leaving 
it  to  the  naval  committee  to  appoint  the  others ;  and,  at  the  same 
time,  authorised  the  building  of  sixteen  ships  of  war,  and  several 
smaller  vessels.  This,  with  the  force  which  was  then  already  in 
the  possession  of  the  several  states,  a  part  of  which  were  sold  to 
Congress  soon  made  a  respectable  naval  force.  The  work  of  build- 
ing went  bravely  on,  for  the  merchants  were  deeply  interested  in  it, 
and  readily  loaned  the  money  to  government  for  their  building,  or 
trusted  the  national  contractor,  for  materials  necessary  in  getting 
this  naval  force  into  effective  operation.  Some  of  the  ships  were  as 
large  as  thirty-two's,  and  from  these  down  to  four's.  After  this, 
larger  vessels  were  built,  but  only  one  seventy-four,  however,  and 
she  was  never  in  our  service.  These  were  commanded  by  brave 
men,  and  there  was  no  act  of  cowardice  known  hi  the  American 
navy  during  the  revolutionary  war.  There  might  have  been  a  few 
instances  of  indecorum  and  want  of  discretion,  but  none  of  cow- 
ardice. 

But  to  be  a  little  more  minute  in  this  history,  as  it  is  important 
to  examine  our  beginnings  as  a  nation,  in  November,  1775,  the  legis- 
lature of  Massachusetts  passed  a  spirited  act,  by  which  they  autho- 
rised and  encouraged  the  fitting  out  of  private  armed  vessels,  to 
defend  the  sea  coast  of  America,  and  at  the  same  time  created  a 
Court  of  Admiralty,  to  try  and  condemn  all  vessels  that  should  be 
found  infesting  the  same.  The  preamble  to  this  act  was  written 
by  the  late  vice  president,  Mr.  Gerry,  and  it  is  a  bold  and  an  in- 
genuous exposition  of  the  sovereign  rights  of  the  people  in  such  an 
exigency,  founded  on  the  royal  charter  of  William  and  Mary,  under 
which  the  affairs  of  the  province  of  Massachusetts  had  been  ad- 
ministered for  more  than  eighty  years.  The  body  of  the  act  was 
penned  by  Mr.  Sullivan,  late  governor  of  Massachusetts,  an  early 
and  firm  patriot  of  the  revolution.  On  the  16th  of  December  of 
Z2 


. 


270  LECTURES  ON 

that  year,  the  government  of  Massachusetts,  resolved  to  fit  out  ten 
vessels  to  go  to  the  West  Indies  for  military  stores.  On  the  29th 
of  this  month  John  Adams  and  J.  Palmer,  were  appointed  by  the 
legislature  of  Massachusetts,  a  committee  to  prepare  and  report  a 
plan  for  fitting  out  armed  vessels.  On  the  8th  of  January  following, 
eight  thousand  pounds  were  voted  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
respectable  marine  force  for  the  province.  On  the  llth  of  January, 
1776,  it  was  resolved  in  council,  to  build  two  frigates,  one  of  thirty- 
six,  and  the  other  of  thirty-two  guns.  On  the  7th  of  February,  it 
was  resolved  by  the  whole  court  to  build  ten  sloops  of  war  to  carry 
sixteen  guns  each.  Ten  thousand  pounds  were  appropriated  to  this 
purpose.  Some  of  these  vessels  were  built,  and  some  others  were 
hired,  so  that  Massachusetts  soon  had  quite  a  respectable  naval  force 
on  the  high  seas  at  their  disposal.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1775, 
Congress  commissioned  several  vessels  of  war,  six  sloops,  and  thir- 
teen gallies;  but  they  were  restrained  to  the  taking  of  publick 
property.  After  the  declaration  of  independence,  and  there  was 
no  prospect  of  peace  for  a  season,  or  at  least  until  Great  Britain 
had  tried  the  strength  of  the  United  Colonies,  the  marine  was  greatly 
increased,  and  twenty-four  vessels  were  put  in  commission,  and 
additions  were  made  from  time  to  time,  to  this  respectable  force. 
These  vessels  were  commanded  by  high-spirited  and  intelligent 
men,  and  who  were  wonderfully  successful ;  for  in  the  course  of 
three  years  they  had  taken  more  than  double  the  number  of  their 
own  guns  from  the  enemy,  besides  a  great  number  of  merchant- 
men of  value.  More  than  eight  hundred  guns  had  been  taken  from 
the  enemy  during  this  time,  by  the  marine  which  Congress  had 
fitted  out;  while  that  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  the  other  states, 
were  equally  successful.  The  vessels  taken  by  the  publick  and 
private  armed  vessels  from  the  battle  of  Lexington  to  the  17th  of 
March,  1776,  when  the  British  evacuated  Boston,  amounted  to  thirty- 
four  of  considerable  size  and  value,  with  excellent  cargoes.  The 
tonnage  of  these  captured  vessels  amounted  to  three  thousand  six 
hundred  and  forty-five  tons.  In  1776,  the  British  vessels  captured  by 
the  private  armed  vessels,  alone,  amounted  to  the  great  number  of 
three  hundred  and  forty-two,  of  which  forty-four  were  retaken, 
eighteen  released,  and  five  burnt.  In  the  following  year,  1777, 
the  success  of  our  privateers  was  still  greater.  Vessels  were  cap- 
tured to  the  amount  of  four  hundred  and  twenty-one.  The  success 
continued  without  any  great  diminution  until  1780.  At  this  time 
the  British  merchants  made  so  strong  an  appeal  to  their  government, 
that  they  provided  a  convoy  for  every  fleet  of  merchant  vessels  to 
every  part  of  the  globe.  Out  of  the  fleet  sailing  from  England  to 
the  West  Indies,  consisting  of  two  hundred  in  number,  in  the  year 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  271 

1777,  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  were  taken  by  our  privateers ; 
and  from  a  fleet  from  Ireland  to  the  West  Indies  of  sixty  sail,  thirty- 
five  were  taken.  Taking  the  years  1775,  6,  7,  8,  and  9,  say  for  the 
first  year,  thirty-four ;  second,  three  hundred  and  forty-two ;  third, 
four  hundred  and  twenty-one;  and  for  the  fourth,  which  has  not 
been  accurately  given,  I  believe  in  any  work,  say,  and  this  within 
bounds,  two  hundred ;  and  for  the  fifth,  the  same,  two  hundred ; 
and  allowing  but  one  hundred  for  the  balance  of  the  time  during  the 
war,  will  make  twelve  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  without  including 
those  taken  by  publick  vessels  from  1776,  to  the  close  of  the  war ; 
and  this  latter  number,  if  it  could  be  precisely  given,  would  add 
greatly  to  the  list  of  captures.  The  marine,  undoubtedly,  fell  off 
towards  the  close  of  the  war,  from  several  causes ;  one,  the  difficul- 
ties in  the  finance  of  the  country,  and  from  the  great  exertions  of 
the  Admiralty  of  England  hi  capturing  our  privateers.  They  had 
become  alarmed  from  the  complaints  of  their  merchants,  and  the 
rise  of  insurance  against  capture,  which  reached  an  extent  unknown 
before  or  since.  The  French  navy  after  that  time  joined  us  in  the 
war,  and  was  in  itself  so  powerful,  that  our  smaller  vessels  were 
not  wanted  to  co-operate  with  the  land  forces  as  before.  Besides 
the  defence  of  Charleston  and  Philadelphia,  which  were  engage- 
ments that  ought  to  be  ranked  among  the  most  memorable  events 
in  our  revolutionary  contest,  there  were  others-  all  along  the  seaboard, 
of  less  note,  but  in  themselves  spirited  affairs.  Rhode  Island, 
Philadelphia,  and  Charleston,  have  high  claims  for  naval  distinction, 
and  for  constant  efforts  on  the  high  seas  during  the  war. 

Our  naval  affairs  were  managed  by  a  marine  committee  in 
Conjrres;?:,  who  were  as  active  and  efficient  as  their  limited  means 
would  allow.  They  had  the  admiralty  code  of  England  and  Hol- 
land before  them,  and  took  sucli  parts  of  it  as  would  answer  the 
purpose  of  their  design.  The  committee  of  Congress  did  wonders, 
considering  their  means  and  the  difficulties  they  had  to  encounter. 
John  Adams  was  an  efficient  member  of  this  committee ;  and,  de- 
lighted with  the  course  pursued  by  the  merchants  of  the  Nether- 
lands, in  gaining  their  independence  and  raising  their  national  cha- 
racter, he  studied  their  state  papers,  ruminated  upon  their  history, 
and  found  it  wise  to  copy  their  policy.  He  was  born  and  educated 
among  a  mercantile  people,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  their  true 
interest.  He  saw  an  extended  seaboard,  and  knew  it  were  folly  to 
defend  our  harbours  and  seaports  without  a  naval  force.  To  him 
and  his  coadjutors  are  we  indebted  for  the  shape  our  infant  navy  took, 
and  for  the  Herculean  tasks  she  performed  as  it  were  in  the  cradle. 
It  is  not  to  be  denied,  however,  that  he  had  the  cordial  co-operation 
of  all  the  efficient  members  in  Congress  in  every  state,  whether 


272  LECTURES  ON 

more  or  less  maritime;  for  these  enlightened  men  saw  what  a 
mighty  engine  of  power  this  force  might  be  made  in  a  foreign  war ; 
and  they  soon  saw,  too,  how  much  a  matter  of  gain  it  was  in  that 
day.  John  Adams  has  deservedly  been  considered  the  father  of  the 
American  navy.  His  disposition  was  of  that  prompt,  effective,  and 
daring  character,  that  made  him  delight  in  the  naval  glories  of  his 
country.  He  knew  that  Great  Britain  was  henceforth  to  be  sepa- 
rated from  us,  and  that  it  was  only  by  cherishing  a  desire  for  naval 
distinction,  that  we  were  ever  to  contend  upon  equal  ground  with 
her.  This  he  declared  almost  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  conflict  ga- 
thering, and  the  storm  ready  to  burst,  long  before  he  had  assisted 
the  people,  or  their  representatives,  to  brace  themselves  up  for  the 
declaration  of  independence.  A  naval  force  was  thought  by  all  to 
be  necessary  at  that  day.  It  was  long  since  that  period,  that  the 
establishment  of  this  great  engine  of  national  defence  was  considered 
of  questionable  policy.  Then  the  representatives  of  all  the  states 
concurred  most  heartily  in  doing  every  thing  in  their  power  to  en- 
courage the  increase  of  our  naval  force.  The  success  of  the  priva- 
teers gave  an  elasticity  and  spirit  to  the  people  that  nothing  else 
could  have  given.  It  gave  them  wealth  also,  through  the  medium 
of  enterprise  and  valour.  The  seaports  were  full  of  the  bustle  of 
preparation  for  cruising  and  reception  of  prizes.  Articles  of  mer- 
chandize were  common,  and  of  a  quality  the  frugality  and  economy 
of  our  people  had  never  permitted  them  to  think  of  before.  These 
articles  were  of  use  to  citizens  and  soldiers,  and  the  sale  and  pur- 
chase gave  a  specious  form  to  business.  A  great  part  of  the  capital 
on  which  they  were  obtained,  was  the  hardihood  and  daring  of  the 
people.  This  success  inspired  the  army  likewise;  for  they  saw  that 
sailors  of  a  new  creation  could  meet,  and  dared  fight,  the  hardy  sons 
of  Neptune  born  in  old  England,  and  educated  in  the  best  of  fleets 
in  the  world ;  and  that  these  veterans  were  often  found  to  yield  to 
American  sailors  of  but  a  few  months  discipline  on  the  high  seas. 

In  the  bustle  that  privateering  created,  the  loss  of  lives  and  limbs 
was  forgotten,  and  the  pride  of  conquest,  and  the  joy  of  the  posses- 
sion of  property  won  by  daring,  concealed  the  pain  of  many  wounds, 
and  perhaps  healed  a  great  many  that  a  want  of  success  might  have 
festered  and  rendered  immedicable.  In  an  army,  individual  bravery 
seldom  finds  an  opportunity  for  display,  while  in  these  sea-fights 
almost  every  one  had  an  opportunity  of  showing  his  prowess. 
These  mariners  on  board  a  privateer  were  sharers  in  the  success  of 
every  enterprise,  often  a  better,  or  stronger  motive  for  brave  deeds, 
than  the  sound  of  a  name.  It  was  often  that  they  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  selecting  the  commander  under  whom  they  would  serve; 
and  men  so  situated,  are  generally  sagacious  in  discerning  the 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  273 

merits  of  their  superiours ;  particularly  when  that  merit,  in  a  good 
measure,  consisted  in  overt  acts,  of  which  they  were  as  good  judges 
as  men  of  higher  grades  of  mind,  and  of  higher  rank  in  society. 
Several  of  these  commanders  of  privateers  were  men  of  original  and 
commanding  talent,  and  deserve  to  be  handed  down  to  posterity,  as 
well  as  the  leaders  of  small  bands  in  the  primitive  wars  of  the  classical 
ages.  Manly,  Mugford,  Jones,  Waters,  Young,  Tucker,  Talbot, 
Nicholson,  Williams,  Biddle,  Hopkins,  Robinson,  and  many  others, 
who  were  either  in  the  service  of  one  of  the  state  sovereignties  at  that 
time,  or  in  the  service  of  Congress,  have  been  noticed  by  the  writers 
of  biography  in  times  past ;  but  there  are  many  more  who  are  equally 
worthy  of  notice,  who  have  been  neglected,  because  they  were  only 
commanders  of  privateers.  It  ought  however  to  be  considered,  that 
our  vessels  of  war  were  small,  and  did  not  in  general  carry  more 
guns  or  men  than  some  of  our  privateers  at  that  time ;  and  the  com- 
manders of  both  classes  of  vessels,  those  of  the  United  States,  and 
those  of  private  citizens,  were  educated  and  trained  alike,  and  had 
equal  sagacity,  skill,  and  success.  Scarcely  a  day  passed,  from  the 
summer  of  1775  to  1780,  that  the  people  were  not  animated  with  the 
news  of  some  sea-fight,  and  generally  victory  was  on  our  side ;  for 
these  privateers  were  built  for  quick  sailing,  and  when  they  thought 
the  fight  would  be  at  odds  against  them,  they  out-sailed  the  enemy, 
and  escaped  to  annoy  them  in  some  other  quarter.  These  comman- 
ders, in  general,  were  men  of  standing,  honour,  and  principle,  and 
never  suffered  themselves  to  sink  into  petty  tyrants,  or  lawless  buc- 
caneers, in  their  manners  or  feelings.  Instances  of  the  most  mag- 
nanimous conduct  among  them  might  be  given.  In  several  cases  of 
capture,  when  they  understood  the  owners  were  friendly  to  the  cause 
of  America,  the  vessels  and  crews  were  suffered  to  depart  without 
losing  a  particle  of  property.  In  the  vessels  taken  by  these  priva- 
teers, as  in  the  publick  armed  ships,  the  officers  were  never  deprived 
of  their  baggage,  and  often  were  allowed  their  adventures,  if  their 
owners  had  allowed  them  such  privileges,  and  they  had  any  on 
board.  Some  few  of  these  commanders  of  privateers  have  lived  down 
to  our  time. 

John  Lee,  one  of  the  race  of  men  almost  sui  generis,  was  well 
known  to  the  lecturer  several  years  ago,  and  his  reputation  stood 
among  his  fellows  as  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  He  was  born  in 
Marblehead,  a  place  renowned  in  the- annals  of  our  country,  for  pro- 
ducing a  succession  of  mariners  of  the  boldest,  hardiest,  and  most 
muscular,  and  above  all,  the  most  humane  that  any  country  or  age 
could  boast.  That  place  had  the  honour  of  building  the  first  ship  of 
any  considerable  size,  that  was  constructed  in  our  country,  the  one 
mentioned  in  the  first  part  of  this  lecture ;  and  of  encouraging  the 
35 


S74  LECTURES  ON 

cod-fishery  in  the  early  days  of  our  history,  when  the  business  was 
hardly  known,  except  in  the  vicinity  of  that  place.  Lee  was  bred  a 
sailor,  and  from  his  talents  and  connexions,  soon  caffie  to  the  com- 
mand of  a  vessel.  He  was  engaged,  at  the  commencement  of  the  war, 
for  his  connexions,  the  Traceys,  merchants  of  great  distinction  at 
that  time,  as  a  captain  of  one  of  then*  private  armed  vessels.  He  first 
sailed  in  a  vessel  carrying  six  iron  guns,  with  several  wooden  ones 
for  a  show ;  and  during  this  cruise  he  took  a  heavy  armed  merchant- 
man, which  he  saw  just  before  night,  but  his  vessel  was  so  low  in  the 
water  that  she  was  not  discovered  by  the  merchantman.  Lee  came 
near  his  enemy  when  it  was  dark,  with  indistinct  lights  extend- 
ing beyond  the  bowsprit  and  from  the  stern  of  his  vessel,  which  gave 
her  the  appearance  of  great  length.  The  English  captain,  thinking 
it  were  idle  to  contend  with  such  force,  as  he  thought  her  from  this 
stratagem,  struck  his  colours,  and  as  his  men  came  on  board  of  Lee's 
small  vessel  by  boat  loads,  they  were  secured ;  but  when  the  English 
captain  came  on  board,  and  saw  how  he  had  been  deceived,  he  at- 
tempted to  kill  himself,  but  was  prevented  by  Lee,  who  by  gentle 
treatment  soothed  his  wounded  feelings.  Lee  had  in  his  composi- 
tion the  pure  elements  of  a  sailor ;  a  fine  constitution,  great  activity, 
and  a  fearlessness  that  was  the  admiration  of  all.  He  was  as  gene- 
rous as  brave,  and  shared  his  honours  with  all  who  acted  with  him, 
and  his  wealth  with  every  one  who  sought  him.  At  one  time,  Lee 
was  a  prisoner  in  a  murky  dungeon,  for  what  was  called  insolence 
after  being  captured ;  at  another  time,  flushed  with  victory,  over  foes 
of  twice  his  power,  he  was  active  in  showing  his  kindness  to  the  cap- 
tured. On  one  day  he  was  found  rolling  in  riches,  and  on  another 
with  clothes  hardly  sufficient  to  keep  off  the  blast :  thus  he  passed 
through  the  revolutionary  conflict ;  but  there  was  never  a  moment 
when  his  genius  cowered,  or  his  spirits  were  broken.  If  ever  he 
changed  at  ah",  it  was  that  his  pride  increased  as  his  fortunes  were 
unpropitious ;  and  he  grew  more  forbearing  when  in  the  flow  of 
prosperity.  For  many  years  he  poised  himself  on  his  honesty  and 
good  intentions,  and  swore  away  all  religious  thoughts ;  but  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  days,  he  became  an  enthusiast  in  religion;  and  his 
zeal  in  praising  God  equalled  his  fury  in  the  fight ;  but  time,  reli- 
gion, and  reflection,  gave  a  new  form  to  his  cast  of  character ;  and 
the  once  boisterous  captain,  whose  oaths  were  louder  than  the  nor- 
thern blast,  became  so  meek,  so  mild,  so  patient,  so  exemplary,  that  it 
was  a  study  and  a  delight  to  see  and  hear  him.  When  the  most  cruel 
fit  of  the  gout  was  upon  him,  and  nature  was  sinking  with  her  agonies, 
he  had  the  sweet  serenity  of  the  saint ;  and  the  eyes  which  once 
flashed  the  fire  of  indignant  and  indomitable  pride,  were  now  beam- 


AJVTERICAN  LITERATURE.  276 

ing  with  the  radiance  of  heaven  inspired  hope :  such  changes  there 
are  in  the  lives  and  in  the  characters  of  men. 

Wingate  Newman,  was  another  of  these  gallant  souls,  who  inspired 
the  world  with  confidence.  He  often  said  that  he  could  obtain  a 
crew  in  one  hour  for  a  twenty  gun  ship,  if  there  were  men  sufficient 
for  the  purpose  in  the  port.  His  character  was  that  of  amenity  and 
distance,  united  to  great  personal  strength,  and  with  that  princely 
generosity  which  attracts  and  secures  the  confidence  of  inferiour 
minds.  "  He  was  made  for  an  admiral,"  was  the  common  saying  of 
his  crew,  and  they  relied  on  his  judgement  without  thinking  that  he 
could  possibly  do  wrong.  In  times  of  peril,  genius  finds  his  natural 
altitude.  A  thousand  years  of  peace  would  never  bring  a  hero  from 
the  crowd.  If  the  British  navy  had  not  existed,  Nelson  might  have 
been  a  curate  of  forty  pounds  a  year. 

To  show  the  men  we  possessed,  and  the  versatility  of  their  talents, 
I  will  name  another  of  the  active  spirits  of  that  day.  Michael  Tit- 
comb  was  a  person  of  a  colossal  size,  and  of  wonderful  strength.  He 
served  as  soldier  and  sailor  with  equal  facility.  At  one  time,  he  was 
an  officer  in  Washington's  guards,  and  received  a  letter  of  commen- 
dation for  his  daring  and  officer-like  conduct  in  the  discharge  of  a 
dangerous  and  important  duty.  At  another,  he  was  found  a  lieuten- 
ant on  board  of  an  armed  ship,  performing  prodigies  of  valour.  At 
the  peace  of  1783,  he  took  the  command  of  a  merchant  vessel ;  but 
when  our  navy  was  equipped,  in  1798,  he  was  again  called  into  the 
service,  and  proved  that  he  had  lost  nothing  of  his  native  fire  and 
personal  strength.  Every  sailor  in  the  navy  had  some  wonderful 
tale  of  his  feats  of  strength.  He  had  considerably  passed  the  prime 
of  life  when  I  first  knew  him ;  but  his  constitution  was  firm,  and  his 
physical  energies  but  slightly  impaired ;  but  with  this  great  strength, 
he  was  one  of  the  most  quiet  and  peaceable  of  men,  and  constantly 
acted  in  fear  of  the  effects  of  his  own  corporal  powers,  when  insulted 
or  assailed ;  the  only  thing  he  could  fear.  If  so  disposed,  we  might  go 
on  for  many  a  page  with  such  instances  of  worthy  men,  who  served 
their  country  in  the  perilous  conflict  which  gave  us  national  exist- 
ence :  and  who  shall  say  that  they  ought  not  to  be  remembered  ? 
But  my  purpose  is  now  only  to  give  the  characteristicks  of  the  age, 
and  not  the  biography  of  those  men  who  made  up  our  strength  and 
glory  at  that  day.  The  naval  exploits  of  Arnold  on  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  in  1776,  ought  not  to  be  passed  over  in  silence.  The  subse- 
quent conduct  of  this  ill-starred  commander  ought  not  to  keep  out 
of  sight  what  he,  and  those  under  him,  did,  when  he  was  true  to  his 
country,  and  fought  in  her  cause.  He  was  not  able,  it  is  true,  to 
meet  and  conquer  lu's  foe  on  the  lake,  but  he  made  a  noble  defence 


276  LECTURES  ON 

with  what  force  he  had.  Some  of  those  under  him  on  the  lake 
were  both  soldiers  and  sailors. 

Colonel  Wigglesworth  had  been  educated  a  scholar,  was  after- 
wards a  sea  captain,  factor,  and  merchant,  and  had  then  taken  the 
command  of  a  regiment.  He  had  made  naval  and  military  tacticks  a 
study  ;  and  perhaps  no  man  then  in  the  country,  was  more  accom- 
plished in  all  the  offices  he  had  held,  than  Col.  Wigglesworth.  In 
this  victory,  if  victory  it  may  be  called,  of  Carlton  on  the  lake,  there 
was  nothing  for  the  enemy  to  boast  of,  and  nothing  for  this  country 
to  regret,  except  the  fact  that  our  fleet  was  not  equal  to  that  of  the 
enemy.  The  genius  of  the  place  only  waited  for  a  coming  age,  to 
bind  the  laurel  on  the  brow  of  the  young  republick.  The  lake-god 
saw  the  treason  in  the  man,  and  reserved  his  water-greens  and  his 
corals  for  the  brow  of  one  who  was  as  virtuous  and  patriotick  as 
brave. 

In  1785,  all  the  vessels  of  this  country  were  sold  off,  and  we  re- 
mained without  a  navy  for  nearly  ten  years :  still  the  people  were  not 
less  maritime.  They  waited  for  an  opportunity  to  commence  anew 
on  a  better  plan.  Numerous  small  vessels  were  not  wanted,  but  a 
few  efficient  ships  were  indispensable,  for  national  defence  and  na- 
tional dignity. 

Commercial  enterprise  is  the  mother  and  the  nurse  of  naval 
greatness.  No  sooner  had  our  country  formed  a  government,  and 
established  a  code  of  marine  laws,  than  our  daring  navigators  ex- 
plored every  sea.  They  had  before  been  acquainted  with  the  bays 
and  harbours  to  a  high  northern  latitude,  having  visited  them  for 
whales  and  furs ;  but  they  now  entered  the  Baltick,  pushed  farther 
up  the  Mediterranean,  swept  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  visited 
China,  the  English  East  Indies,  and  all  the  straits  and  islands  of 
those  seas.  This  was  not  all ;  they  followed  the  path  of  Cook  and 
Vancouver ;  visited  all  parts  of  the  Pacifick,  and  began  a  profitable 
trade  on  the  North  West  coast.  The  whalers  followed  them  ;  and 
supplied  our  own,  and  other  countries,  with  oil  of  a  better  quality 
than  had  been  before  used.  In  these  voyages  were  bred  the  best  of 
seamen  ;  innured  to  every  climate,  and  accustomed  to  all  varieties 
of  savage  men,  they  feared  nothing  in  human  shape.  The  best  of 
sailors  were  at  hand,  as  soon  as  they  were  wanted  to  man  our  ships 
of  war.  They  required  no  drilling  for  naval  service,  every  man 
could  throw  a  harpoon,  manage  a  great  gun,  or  take  any  post  he 
was  appointed  to  fill.  The  protection  afforded  our  seamen,  is  one 
reason  that  they  are  so  energetick.  They  are,  indeed,  a  privileged 
class ;  for,  while  every  able  bodied  citizen  of  a  certain  age,  is  liable 
in  time  of  war  to  be  drafted  for  military  duty,  the  law  does  not 
allow  of  a  press  or  a  draft  for  sailors.  They  ship  by  their  own  free 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  277 

will  and  accord,  under  which  commander  they  choose,  either  in  a 
merchantman,  private  armed  vessel,  or  publick  ship  of  war.  They 
feel  as  freemen  and  act  as  such.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  feature 
in  our  navy  can  be  preserved,  as  the  population  of  the  country  will 
keep  pace  with  the  increase  of  our  navy ;  and  commerce  and  the 
fisheries  will  still  continue  the  nurseries  for  seamen. 

In  1794,  a  proposition  was  brought  forward  for  creating  a  navy, 
and  after  a  sharp  debate,  a  bill  was  passed  by  a  majority  of  two  only, 
in  the  house  of  representatives,  for  building  four  forty-four's  and  two 
thirty-six's.  The  most  experienced  and  skilful  ship-builders  in  the 
country  were  sought  for,  and  employed,  and  the  work  began  in 
earnest.  Humphries  and  Hacket,  master  builders  and  modellers,  did 
themselves  great  credit  by  the  specimens  they  produced.  In  1798, 
and  1799,  this  country  had  built  up  a  considerable  navy ;  six  forty- 
four's,  three  thirty-six's,  seven  thirty-two's,  and  from  fifteen  to  twen- 
ty, or  more,  smaller  vessels  of  war.  This  sudden  creation  of  a  naval 
force  showed  the  maritime  world,  what  the  resources  and  energies 
of  our  nation  were,  whenever  they  should  be  pushed  to  develop 
them.  In  1798,  the  nation  were  in  a  state  of  agitation,  and  the 
secretary  of  war,  who  was  then  charged  with  superintending  the 
concerns  of  the  navy,  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Hon.  Samuel  Sewall, 
chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  house  of  representatives  for 
the  protection  of  commerce,  and  the  defence  of  the  country,  con- 
taining his  views  of  the  necessary  preparation  for  the  exigencies  of 
the  times,  to  protect  our  territory,  property,  and  sovereignty. 
All  our  naval  forces  were  soon  put  in  requisition.  An  act  was  pass- 
ed in  May,  1798,  which  authorised  "the  president  to  direct  our 
cruisers  to  seize,  take,  and  bring-  into  any  port  o£the  United 
States,  any  vessel  sailing  under  the  authority  of  the  French  Repub- 
lick,  hovering  on  our  coast  for  the  purpose  of  committing  depreda- 
tions on  vessels  belonging  to  our  citizens,"  &c.  In  conformity  to 
this  act,  Captain  Dale,  hi  the  Ganges,  who  had  been  fitted  out  with 
limited  instructions,  received  those  of  a  broader  nature,  but  still 
limited  to  come  strictly  within  the  act  of  the  28th  of  May.  During 
the  summer,  others  were  ordered  out,  and  our  commerce  in  the 
"West  India  seas  was  well  protected.  Until  this  period,  we  had  no 
regular  and  systematick  arrangement  in  this  department ;  but  at 
this  period  the  cost  of  building  and  equipping  the  navies  of  other 
nations  were  examined,  and  rules  for  our  own  were  readily  to  be 
found  in  them,  if  in  many  items,  they  were  considerably  different. 
The  strongest  arguments  were  used  to  show  the  propriety  of  effi- 
cient measures,  and  were  generally  convincing  and  satisfactory. 
In  this  quasi  war,  as  it  was  called  by  Mr.  Adams  at  that  time, 
the  American  navy  took  from  the  French  Republick,  from 
2A 


278  LECTURES  ON 

1798  to  1801,  between  eighty  and  ninety  armed  vessels,  and  re-cap- 
tured many  American  vessels,  which  the  French  cruisers  had  taken 
from  the  citizens  of  the  United  States.  The  most  conspicuous  of 
the  engagements  in  this  naval  contest,  was  that  of  the  Constellation, 
Captain  Truxton,  and  the  Insurgent,  of  forty  guns,  and  four  hundred 
and  nine  men,  in  which  the  latter  was  taken ;  and  that  of  the  same 
American  ship  and  commander,  with  the  Vengeance,  a  fifty-four  gun 
ship,  which  escaped  after  she  had  several  times  struck  her  flag. 
The  next  in  point  of  size  was  the  Berceau,  of  twenty-four  guns,  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty  men,  taken  by  the  Boston,  Captain  Little. 
Captain  John  Shaw,  in  the  Enterprize,  of  twelve  guns,  captured  six 
armed  French  vessels,  and  re-captured  eleven  American  vessels,  in  a 
cruise  of  eight  months.  In  these  engagements,  in  one  of  which  he 
contended  with  superiour  force,  he  took  forty-seven  guns  and  three 
hundred  and  seventy-nine  men,  and  in  all  of  them  together,  the 
enemy  had  thirty-one  killed  and  sixty-six  wounded.  Although 
there  were  a  few  mistakes  in  the  naval  affairs  of  that  period,  yet, 
the  whole  course  together,  reflected  the  highest  honour  on  our 
country,  and  gave  evidence  not  only  to  France,  but  to  the  other 
nations,  that  we  were  fitted  for  a  naval  power,  and  should  soon  take 
our  rank  with  the  nations  of  Europe,  on  the  high  seas.  Many 
young  officers  distinguished  themselves,  and  gave  early  promise  of 
the  high  character  which  they  have  since  sustained.  The  whole 
cost  of  the  creation  and  support  of  this  navy  was  short  of  ten  mil- 
lions of  dollars;  not  equal  to  the  revenue  of  our  nation  for  one  year 
of  this  war. 

Under  the  act  of  the  third  of  March,  1801,  all  the  ships  and  vessels, 
belonging  to  the  navy  of  the  United  States,  were  sold,  excepting 
thirteen,  and  these,  mostly  frigates ;  they  brought  in  the  market 
but  a  small  proportion  of  their  original  cost.  This  sacrifice  was  a 
matter  of  no  importance,  in  comparison  with  the  glory  we  had 
gained ;  aye,  something  more  than  fame  was  gained.  The  success 
of  our  naval  forces  taught,  not  only  others,  but  ourselves,  that  it  did 
not  require  the  pressure  of  a  revolutionary  struggle,  to  make  us  a 
maritime  nation,  in  the  true  naval  sense  of  the  word ;  a  nation  who 
could  make  the  greatest  exertions  to  protect  and  extend  a  lawful  com- 
merce, upon  the  broadest  basis.  Avarice  might  have  wished  us  to 
have  risked  nothing ;  and  to  have  purchased  our  mercantile  privi- 
leges, by  debasement  and  sycophancy  to  other  nations;  and  timidi- 
ty preached  to  us  a  long  homily  upon  the  mighty  powers  of  these 
nations,  and  entered  into  deep  calculations  upon  the  folly  of  risking 
any  thing,  when  we  were  so  weak  and  defenceless ;  but,  thanks  to 
heaven,  the  proud  spirit  of  our  fathers  prevailed,  and  the  honour  of 
the  nation  was  not  compromised  by  parsimony  or  cowardice.  It 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  279 

seemed  a  dream  to  all  the  world,  that  a  navy  could  rise  upon  the 
bosom  of  the  ocean,  by  the  power  of  an  infant  nation,  in  so  sudden  a 
manner.  The  fabled  pines  of  Mount  Ida  were  not  formed  into  ships, 
for  the  fugitive  Trojans,  more  rapidly,  than  the  oaks  of  our  pasture- 
grounds  and  forests  were  thrown  into  naval  batteries,  for  the  protec- 
tion of  commerce,  and  our  national  dignity.  Scarcely  had  it  been 
published  in  the  English  and  continental  gazettes,  that  our  navy  was 
sold  off,  and  that  we  were  destitute  of  a  ship  of  war,  before  the  seas 
were  whitened  with  the  canvass  of  a  navy  from  our  ports,  that  fled 
from  no  equal,  and  were  caught  by  no  superiour  force. 

Scarcely  had  our  differences  with  France  been  adjusted,  before 
we  were  called  to  contend  with  a  new  foe ;  and  then  the  diminution 
of  our  naval  force  was  sorely  felt.  During  our  existence,  as  colonies, 
our  trade  had  been  protected  in  the  Mediterranean, by  the  naval  power 
of  the  mother  country;  but  after  the  peace  of  1783,  the  protection, 
of  course,  ceased,  and  we  were  obliged  to  purchase  an  immunity 
from  capture  and  slavery,  from  the  sovereignties  of  Morocco  and 
Algiers.  This  tribute  was  galling  to  a  free  people,  but  nothing  else 
could  be  done  to  save  a  valuable  commerce,  and  we  consoled  our- 
selves that  the  most  powerful  Christian  nations  have  done  the  same, 
and  some  of  them  were  still  doing  the  same ;  and  in  fact,  all  of  them 
in  some  way  or  other  were  still  tributaries.  In  the  year  1800,  an 
indignity  was  offered  our  flag  by  the  dey  of  Algiers.  The  ship  which 
was  sent  to  carry  our  tribute  was  forcibly  sent  on  a  mission  from  the 
dey  to  his  master  the  Grand  Seignior,  and  although  it  was  managed 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  produce  in  the  mind  of  the  master  of  the 
petty  tyrant,  a  respect  for  the  people  of  the  new  world,  by  the  ad- 
dress of  the  American  commander,  still  the  insult  was  deeply  felt  in 
every  part  of  our  country.  These  powers  on  the  coast  of  Africa 
were  a  terrour  to  every  mariner ;  for  he,  who  feared  no  storms,  dread- 
ed captivity  in  these  countries  more  than  death  itself.  The  Barbary 
powers,  Algiers,  Tunis,  Morocco,  and  Tripoli,  had  been  the  scourge 
of  Christendom  for  ages.  They  had  been  pirates  for  a  thousand 
years ;  from  the  time  the  Greeks  had  been  driven  from  these  shores 
to  the  present  day,  they  had  plundered  the  merchants  trafficking  in 
the  Mediterranean,  and  made  all  persons  they  could  get  into  their 
possession  slaves ;  and  these  unfortunate  beings  they  either  ransomed 
at  a  great  price,  or  cruelly  devoted  to  labour  and  insults  of  the  worst 
character.  Spain,  France,  England,  Portugal,  Denmark,  and  Swe- 
den,  had  suffered  immeasurably  from  the  corsairs  of  these  piratical 
governments,  whenever  they  refused  to  pay  a  tribute  for  their 
safety.  These  corsairs  were  adventurous  and  skilful  seamen,  and 
lived  and  thrived  on  the  depredations  made  on  all  "Christian  dogs," 
as  they  insultingly  called  their  foe.  They  often  swept  the  Adriatick, 


280  LECTURES  ON 

depredated  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  and  Italy,  and  France,  and  infested 
all  the  seas  of  that  region ;  and  sometimes  ventured  on  the  Atlantick 
in  search  of  prey.  At  different  periods  of  history  immense  efforts 
had  been  made  to  subdue  them.  In  the  time  of  Ferdinand  of  Spain, 
he  drove  them  from  the  seaboard,  and  for  several  years  kept  them 
in  fear  and  dread  of  him ;  but  in  1615,  Barbarossa,  a  Turk,  and  one 
who  had  been  a  corsair,  got  possession  of  Algiers,  and  by  every 
species  of  cruelty  and  intrigue,  extended  his  influence  and  power 
along  the  coast  for  some  distance.  He  fell,  as  most  tyrants  have 
done,  in  violence  and  blood,  and  his  brother  became,  for  the  security 
of  himself  and  friends,  a  tributary  to  the  Grand  Seignior.  The  for- 
midable works  erected  by  the  Spaniards  while  they  had  possession 
of  the  country  were  destroyed  ;  and  with  thirty  thousand  Christian 
slaves,  then  unransomed,  he  built  the  wall  and  other  works  which 
now  defend  the  city.  Spain  and  Italy,  and  all  true  Christians,  were 
in  tortures  at  the  treatment  of  their  countrymen  and  fellow  Christians; 
and  Charles  V.  of  Spain,  in  1641,  made  a  bold  effort  to  extirpate  this 
nest  of  pirates  at  once.  With  one  hundred  and  twenty  ships, 
twenty  gallies,  and  thirty  thousand  men  and  gentlemen,  who  had 
entered  into  it  from  religious  views,  as  it  was  considered  a  holy  war, 
he  commenced  his  campaign.  In  this  fickle  climate  the  elements 
warred  against  him,  and  all  this  tremendous  host  were  either  de- 
stroyed by  the  tempests,  or  killed  by  the  foe,  or  returned  disheartened, 
notwithstanding  the  bull  of  the  pope,  and  the  blessing  of  the  cardi- 
nals and  priests  upon  the  holy  expedition.  France  once  in  later 
years,  in  a  fit  of  resentment,  made  a  spirited  attack  upon  them,  but 
did  not  follow  it  up  with  any  permanent  efforts.  It  seems  mysterious, 
but  so  it  was,  that  the  United  States  should  be  the  first  power  in 
modern  times  who  could,  or  who  did,  keep  in  check  the  corsairs  of 
those  seas ;  and  who  dared  to  blow  the  castles  round  the  heads  of 
those  who  sought  protection  in  them. 

In  1800,  the  bashaw  of  Tripoli  was  anxious  to  have  tribute  paid 
him  also,  and  made  his  demand  in  a  bold  insulting  manner.  The 
Bey  of  Tunis  also  raised  his  voice  for  tribute.  On  the  15th  of  May, 
1801,  the  bashaw  of  Tripoli  declared  war  against  the  United  States. 
This  was  precisely  the  act  our  naval  commanders  were  desirous  of; 
but  the  horrours  of  slavery  made  a  great  impression  upon  the  minds 
of  some  of  our  citizens,  who  clamoured  to  have  every  sacrifice  made, 
that  we  might  be  kept  in  security ;  fortunately  this  was  not  the  gene- 
ral feeling.  Before  this  declaration  of  war  had  been  made,  the  Pre- 
sident of  the  United  States  had  sent  Commodore  Dale  with  a  squadron 
of  observation,  consisting  of  three  frigates  and  a  schooner.  His  in- 
structions were  full  of  caution,  yet  not  wanting  in  decision.  On  the 
6th  of  August,  1801,  Lieutenant  Sterret,  in  the  Enterprise  of  twelve 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  281 

guns,  took  the  first  Tripolitan  ship  of  war,  or  the  first  of  any  of  these 
Barbary  powers  which  ever  struck  to  our  flag.  The  prize  mounted 
fourteen  guas ;  she  had  twenty  killed  and  thirty  wounded  in  the  ac- 
tion, but  there  was  not  an  American  injured. 

This  fight  fully  showed  our  superiority  in  naval  tacticks  and  gun- 
nery over  any  thing  these  pirates  could  produce.  Early  in  1802, 
a  relief  squadron  was  sent  out  to  the  Mediterranean ;  Captain  R.  V. 
Morris  was  in  command  of  it.  The  squadron  was  one  of  more 
efficiency  than  that  of  Commodore  Dale's.  It  was  well  appointed, 
and  provision  made  for  ample  supplies.  In  May,  1803,  the  bashaw 
of  Tripoli  proposed  a  peace;  his  sine  qua  non  was  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  and  the  expenses  of  the  war.  The  negociation 
was  instantly  given  up,  and  these  terms  considered  inadmissible. 
He  had  become,  however,  quite  tired  of  being  blockaded  in  his  own 
port.  In  June,  Captain  Morris  was  suspended,  for  it  became  appa- 
rent that  he  did  not  act  with  sufficient  energy ;  nothing  brilliant  had 
been  done  under  his  command.  The  trade  it  is  true  had  been  pro- 
tected, and  probably  he  thought  this  the  chief  end  of  his  duties. 
The  secretary  of  the  navy  was  not  satisfied  with  this,  and  he  ap- 
pointed Commodore  Preble  to  take  the  command  of  the  squadron. 
This  was  a  fortunate  appointment ;  Preble  was  a  man  of  sterling 
talents,  and  well  acquainted  with  his  duty;  of  the  most  cool  and 
determined  bravery,  and  was  panting  for  some  occasion  for  distinc- 
tion. He  had  with  him  some  noble  spirits,  Bainbridge,  Decatur, 
and  others,  cast  in  the  same  mould,  and  animated  by  the  same  soul 
with  himself.  The  squadron  had  not  only  to  blockade  Tripoli,  but 
to  watch  the  movements  of  Algiers,  Morocco,  and  Tunis ;  but  on 
the  dey  of  Algiers  seeming  in  better  nature  than  usual,  and  the  em- 
peror of  Morocco  coming  to  terms,  Preble  made  up  his  mind  to 
attack  Tripoli  with  what  force  he  had,  and  a  few  gun-boats  he  had 
hired  at  Naples.  On  the  3d  of  August,  1804,  he  made  the  first  at- 
tack. These  gun-boats  gave  our  men  an  opportunity  of  showing 
their  personal  strength,  science,  and  bravery,  in  attack  and  defence; 
for  the  combatants  came,  as  in  ancient  times,  hand  to  hand  and 
breast  to  breast.  The  minute  details  of  this  and  the  other  attacks 
on  this  city,  would  furnish  a  story  of  as  much  prowess  and  chival- 
rous gallantry  as  any  of  the  wars  in  the  Holy  Land.  The  deeds  of 
the  lover-knights  were  then  sung  by  the  minstrel,  and  for  ages  after 
were  breathed  in  bower  and  hall,  and  are  not  yet  forgotten,  but  still 
enamour  the  brave  and  the  fair  in  this  cool  age  of  philosophy; — shall 
our  heroes  want  an  historian?  After  the  second  attack,  which  was 
made  on  the  5th  of  the  same  month,  the  bashaw  lowered  his  terms 
for  peace,  offering  to  take  five  hundred  dollars  for  each  prisoner,  and 
require  no  stipulation  for  peace  hereafter.  This  also  was  not  ad- 
2A2  36 


282  LECTURES  ON 

missible.  On  the  28th,  another  attack  was  made ;  and  the  next  on 
the  3d  of  September.  The  fickleness  of  the  seas  in  winter  would 
not  admit  of  any  further  attacks  this  season.  The  next  summer 
they  were  to  be  renewed  with  a  vigorous  determination  to  carry 
fire  and  sword  into  the  palace  of  the  bashaw.  On  the  10th  of  Sep- 
tember, Preble  surrendered  his  command  to  Commodore  Barron. 
The  secretary  said  that  this  was  a  matter  of  necessity.  The  secre- 
tary was  an  honourable  man.  Enough  was  done  to  induce  the 
bashaw  to  make  peace  on  the  3d  of  June,  1805,  on  favourable  terms, 
or  rather  on  just  terms.  Thus  ended  a  war  which  surprised  the 
nations  of  Europe.  They  had  often  smiled  to  think  the  United 
States,  a  new-born  nation,  should  be  so  presumptuous  as  to  suppose 
that  she  could  put  down  these  predatory  hordes,  which  had  exacted 
tribute  from  all  the  commercial  world,  from  time  immemorial ;  but 
it  was  done,  and  the  lookers  on  were  astonished  at  the  events  as 
they  transpired.  The  Pope,  who  had  ever  been  deeply  interested 
in  all  these  pagan  wars,  or  rather,  all  these  wars  against  pagan 
powers,  declared  that  this  infant  nation  had  done  more  in  a 
few  years,  in  checking  the  insolence  of  these  infidels,  than  all  the 
nations  of  Europe  for  ages.  The  thunders  of  the  Vatican  had  passed 
harmlessly  over  these  pirates'  heads,  through  more  than  ten  succes- 
sors of  St.  Peter,  until  the  United  States  had  brought  these  infidels 
to  terms  by  the  absolute  force  of  naval  power.  The  head  of  the 
church  saw  that  the  people  of  a  free  nation  had  felt  the  degradation  of 
paying  tribute,  and  were  determined  to  do  so  no  longer  than  they  could 
concentrate  their  energies,  and  direct  them  to  bear  upon  the  general 
foe  of  Christendom.  The  whole  was  indeed  a  wonder,  that  a  nation 
that  scarcely  had  risen  into  the  great  family  of  independent  powers, 
should  be  able  to  grapple  with,  and  in  a  measure  subdue,  these  bar- 
barians, who  had  been  for  so  long  a  time  the  scourge  of  mankind. 
We  had  not  taken  one  power  alone,  but  all  from  the  Atlantick  to 
the  Red  Sea.  The  Doge,  who  had  been  wedded  to  the  Adriatick, 
and  promised  for  the  dower  of  his  bride,  the  dominion  of  the  seas 
from  the  Delta  of  Egypt  to  the  straits  of  Gibraltar,  had  never  in  the 
pride  of  aristocratick  strength,  claimed  the  honour  of  humbling  the 
"  insolent  Turk"  to  the  extent  that  the  United  States  had  done  in  a 
few  years.  The  arm  of  liberty,  when  properly  directed,  was  always 
deadly  to  despotism.  These  exertions  gave  our  flag  a  rank  among 
the  nations  of  Europe,  in  these  classical  seas,  in  which  so  great  a 
proportion  of  all  the  sea-fights  in  the  annals  of  man  had  taken  place, 
from  the  early  ages  of  fable  and  romance  to  modern  times.  The 
corsair,  who  had  been  the  terror  of  the  world,  was  now  found  a 
furious,  but  not  unconquerable  foe ;  and  the  barbarians,  whose  tre- 
mendous fierceness  had  been  the  tale  of  wonder  in  every  age,  seemed, 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  283 

in  our  mode  of  warfare,  less  dangerous  than  the  aboriginals  we  had 
been  contending  with  from  the  cradle  of  our  nation.  We  have 
sworn  to  pay  no  tribute  in  this  region,  but  this  were  vain ;  shall  not 
the  mighty  dead  demand  the  tribute  of  a  tear?  And  shall  this  be  de- 
nied ?  Shall  not  the  lover  of  his  country  shed  one  sacred  dew  drop 
of  nature  to  the  memory  of  Somers,  Wadsworth,  and  Israel?*  Shall 
we  repeat  the  glories  of  Salamis  and  of  the  Nile,  and  forget  our  own 
heroes  who  devoted  themselves  to  destruction  for  our  honour  ?  Oh  ! 
no ;  such  actions  are  rare  on  the  page  of  history  and  shall  not  be 
forgotten ;  the  dullest  of  the  sons  of  men  shall  acknowledge  that 
there  does  exist,  in  the  soul  of  the  brave,  a  romantick  love  of  country 
and  of  fame,  when  reminded  of  the  deeds  and  fate  of  these  victims ; 
and  shall  we  be  wanting  in  these  reminiscences  ?  No ;  generous 
spirits  !  you  shall  be  brought  forth  on  all  proper  occasions,  and  your 
country's  historians  charged  with  handing  down  to  the  latest  pos- 
terity your  noble  sacrifice — that  of  self-immolation  on  your  country's 
altar.  Your  business  was  to  die,  and  you  have  finished  it  up ;  be  it 
ours  to  take  in  charge  your  fame,  and  transmit  it  to  future  times. 

Here  I  shall  stop  as  to  the  history  of  our  navy,  for  all  the  inci- 
dents on  which  future  history  is  to  be  founded,  are  fully  blazoned 
in  the  newspapers  of  the  day,  and  so  generally  spread  upon  the 
pages  of  our  literary  and  historical  journals,  that  it  would  be 
premature,  perhaps,  to  attempt  to  condense,  connect,  and  correct 
them  for  history ;  the  laurels  of  our  navy  are  too  green  and  dewy  at 
this  hour  to  be  fit  to  garner  up  for  preservation ;  but  suffice  it  now 
to  say,  that  we  are  contented  with  the  present  size  of  our  navy, 
and  are  proud  of  its  fame  in  every  stage  of  its  growth.  A  navy 
should  always  be  in  proportion  to  the  number,  the  wealth,  the  com- 
merce, and  the  spirit  of  a  people.  It  should  grow  no  faster  than 
its  duties  are  required,  and  never  over  represent  the  strength  of  a 
nation.  Its  growth  should  be  so  gradual  that  no  ignorance  of  nauti- 
cal subjects  should  ever  be  seen  in  the  crew  of  a  ship,  and  still  new 
sailors  should  be  instructed  in  every  cruise.  The  greatest  possible 
science  and  efficiency  in  the  smallest  possible  compass,  should  be 
the  standing  maxim  of  those  who  love  a  navy.  It  is  not  the  creation 
of  a  navy,  that  we  are  now,  as  a  nation,  to  think  of  it  is  only  the 
management  and  increase  of  that  navy,  that  should  be  brought  for- 
ward as  subjects  of  consideration ;  and  for  this  increase  we  can  have 
no  particular  anxiety.  Skilful  artizans  to  build  a  navy  have  never 
been  wanting  in  this  country  since  its  earliest  days ;  they  abound 
now,  and  are  possessed  of  all  the  improvements  of  the  art  of  ship- 
building ;  and  these  are  not  a  few.  On  our  part  of  this  continent  we 

*  Sec  Appendix,  Note  D. 


284  LECTURES  ON 

have  timber  enough  for  all  the  navies  of  the  world ;  our  forests  and 
pastures,  produce  it  faster  than  it  can  be  used;  and  science  has 
taught  us  to  make  as  much  again  as  we  used  to,  of  what  we  have. 
In  addition  to  these  great  stores,  the  providence  of  a  late  secretary 
of  the  navy,  with  the  assistance  of  Congress,  has  secured  an  abun- 
dance of  the  best  of  live  oak,  by  reserving  for  the  use  of  the  govern- 
ment, an  immense  forest  of  this  growth  in  Florida.  This  cost  the 
nation  but  little  more  than  the  sagacious  efforts  of  a  man  of  political 
forecast;  the  worth  of  a  statesman  is  seldom  known  until  he 
passes  away;  and  those  who  do  the  most  good,  often  share  the 
fate  that  the  ignorant  and  time-serving  deserve,  or  a  worse  one. 
We  can  never  want  for  sailors,  as  long  as  our  cod  and  whale 
fishery  are  pursued,  and  our  foreign  commerce  is  protected. 

Our  mariners  have  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  eight  thousand, 
and  over ;  a  fourth  part  of  these  can,  on  an  emergency,  be  spared 
for  the  navy,  and  these,  with  a  small  proportion  of  fresh  recruits, 
would  instantly  make  up  a  most  formidable  force  for  naval  opera- 
tions. The  iron  and  hemp,  or  its  substitute  cotton,  can  easily  be 
found  here,  and  will  be  supplied  as  fast  as  wanted.  The  only  ma- 
teriel we  were  ever  charged  to  be  wanting  in,  was  scientifick  navi- 
gators, not  hardy  seaman,  and  these  we  are  every  day  schooling 
for  our  requisitions.  The  two  hundred  and  fifty  lieutenants,  and 
the  four  hundred  and  sixteen  midshipmen,  will  supply  the  place  of 
those  who  in  the  course  of  nature  pass  away,  and  the  list  of  our 
veteran  naval  officers  is  rapidly  diminishing.  Those  who  come  up 
will  not  naturally  be  greater  men  than  then-  predecessors ;  but  it  will 
not  be  denied  that  their  advantages  for  obtaining  knowledge  will 
be  much  greater.  Bravery  remains  as  it  has  been— and  how 
could  it  be  exceeded  ? — nautical  science  is  advancing  with  us  as  in 
other  countries.  There  is  not  a  discovery  in  agriculture,  the  arts,  or 
hi  manufacturing,  that  has  not  a  bearing  upon  our  navy,  directly 
or  indirectly.  The  cost  of  building,  supporting,  and  educating  a 
navy,  is  now  nearly  reduced  to  a  standing  certainty.  The  people 
can  at  once  make  calculations  for  themselves ;  there  is  no  mystery 
about  the  matter ;  for  they  can  at  a  glance  estimate  the  expenses 
of  this  branch  of  power.  One  man  from  every  hundred  persons, 
hi  our  community,  and  two  days  labour  every  year  for  those  persons 
in  our  country  capable  of  labour,  will  support  a  navy  far  superiour 
to  whatever  the  most  ambitious  statesman  will  ever  ask  of  the 
country.  And  to  whom  is  this  paid  ?  All,  to  ourselves :  millions  for 
defence,  but  not  a  cent  for  tribute,  was  the  maxim  of  our  infancy 
as  a  nation.  This  will  be  perpetual ;  but  a  wiser  one  will  be,  never 
to  ask,  or  seek  for  that  power,  that  will  make  other  nations  tribu- 
tary to  us,  except,  through  the  medium  of  a  liberal  reciprocity  in 


AMERICAN  LITERATURE.  285 

commerce.  That  nation  is  hated,  however  much  it  may  be  feared, 
who  domineers  over  another  from  the  mere  consciousness  of  power; 
and  that  nation  despised,  that  succumbs,  while  it  can  maintain  its 
existence  and  independence  by  any  sacrifices  whatever.  We  must 
not  be  too  impatient  for  greatness ;  we  are  indeed  apt  to  be  so,  for 
we  have  witnessed  what  no  other  nation  has  before  seen,  a  people 
grow  as  rapidly  into  wealth  and  power  as  an  enterprising  individual 
ever  did.  Other  nations  have  waited  for  centuries,  for  what  we  have 
experienced  in  the  course  of  half  a  human  life,  a  fourfold  increase. 
The  growth  of  the  navy  of  our  mother  country,  has  been  slow, 
compared  with  ours,*  but  in  truth  no  comparison  exists.  They 
made  their  navy  for  self-existence,  and  for  an  extension  of  power ; 
ours  grew  out  of  a  spirit  of  independence,  and  will  we  trust  be 
maintained  for  the  same  glorious  principle.  But  if  all  the  ships 
we  now  own,  were  sunk  in  the  ocean,  and  every  navy  officer  with 
them,  gallant,  skilful,  and  intelligent  as  they  are,  the  American 
navy  would  not  be  destroyed.  The  navy  exists  in  the  hearts  and 
wills  of  the  people  ;  and  in  the  event  of  its  destruction,  it  would  be 
recreated  as  certain  as  the  existence  of  the  nation  ;  all  prejudices 
against  a  navy  have  been  overcome  and  destroyed  forever ;  and 
this  is  sufficient.  The  permanence  of  our  navy  depends  on  publick 
opinion,  and  this  is  made  up  irrevocably.  The  decree  of  this  re- 
publick  is  gone  forth  ;  and  none  but  the  God  of  battles  can  reverse 
it,  and  that  decree  is,  the  United  States  must  and  shall  be  a 
naval  power,  and  her  flag  shall  be  respected  in  every  quarter 
of  the  globe.  This  decree  rests  on  no  contingency,  no  change  of 
party,  no  particular  administration  of  government ;  it  is  incorporated 
with  our  habits,  it  is  a  good  share  of  our  feelings,  and  it  is,  also,  a 
part  of  our  fame.  A  mighty,  a  growing  people,  whose  impulses 
are  "  thought-executing  fires?  and  whose  settled  determination  is 
fate,  have  lifted  their  voice,  and  it  must  be  obeyed. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

ONE  word  at  parting  with  my  readers,  by  way  of  explanation  and 
farewell.  It  has  been  said  by  those  who  are  jealous  of  our  rising 
greatness,  that  we  dwell  on  the  future,  and  endeavour  to  show  what 
we  shall  be  in  a  century  or  two  to  come ;  forgetting  the  present  and 
the  past;— they  will  not,  I  trust,  charge  me  with  taking  this  course; 
for  mine  certainly  has  been  a  different  one.  The  past,  almost  exclu- 
sively, has  occupied  my  attention  in  these  pages,  offered  to  my 

*  See  Appendix,  Note  E. 


386  POSTSCRIPT. 

countrymen.  Among  the  poets,  I  have  mentioned  only  two  living 
ones,  except  by  some  slight  allusion  to  those  who  are  around  me, 
when  it  could  not  fairly  be  avoided,  and  these  two  I  have  named  be- 
long to  another  age.  Among  the  orators,  I  remember  only  one  of  the 
living  of  whom  I  have  given  an  account,  and  the  same  remark  would 
apply  to  him ;  and  if  I  have  slightly  trespassed  on  this  rule,  in  regard 
to  writers  of  history  and  matters  of  taste,  it  was  only  to  direct  the  youth- 
ful mind  to  such  works  as  I  thought  proper  sources  of  information. 
Among  the  painters,  I  have  noticed  but  one  among  the  living,  and  for 
doing  this  I  will  not  ask  forgiveness  until  the  reader  has  considered 
that  subject ;  not  now ;  but  what  a  galaxy  of  distinguished  painters, 
who  are  in  active  life,  and  "  buying  golden  opinions  of  all  sorts  of 
men,"  are  now  before  me,  my  countrymen,  and  some  of  them  my  per- 
sonal friends,  that  I  might  have  named,  and  found  it  delightful  to  have 
exhibited,  to  borrow  a  phrase  from  the  art  itself,  in  the  best  lights  I 
was  master  of.  The  engravers  too,  who,  with  us,  have  lately  sprung 
up,  but  whose  works  are  of  a  high  order  of  genius,  would  have 
filled  many  a  page,  if  justice  had  been  done  them,  but  have  scarcely 
been  mentioned  in  gross ;  although  for  them  too  I  was  prepared  to 
say  something  in  particular.  On  our  living  orators,  and  I  have, 
perhaps,  heard  as  many  of  them  speak  as  any  one  of  their  admirers, 
volumes  might  be  written ;  all  these  things,  and  many  more,  which 
make  up  our  national  mental  affluence,  I  have  passed  over  at  present, 
in  order  to  say,  as  much  as  I  had  leisure  to  say,  of  the  past — that 
past  which  should  be  dear  to  us  all,  not  merely  because  it  is  the 
past, -but  because  it  was  filled  up  with  many  great  men,  and  some 
good  things.  I  have  said  that  I  cherished  the  hope  of  seeing  my 
book,  in  some  not  far  distant  day,  in  the  hands  of  school  children, 
in  a  cheap  and  proper  edition  for  their  use.  If  my  book  has  errours 
— and  what  book  is  without  them  ? — and  particularly  one  that  in 
this  way  treats  of  historical  events — What  better  place  can  there  be 
to  correct  these  errours,  than  under  the  eye  of  a  shrewd  instructor, 
who  detects  them. 

It  may  be  said  that  all  school  books  should  be  written  with  the 
utmost  simplicity,  and  no  words,  but  such  as  are  strictly  household, 
should  be  found  in  them.  This  may  hold  good  for  books  intended 
for  very  young  children ;  but  most  certainly,  the  upper  classes  of 
our  common  schools  are  capable  of  understanding  any  historical 
subject,  in  whatever  style  it  may  be  written.  The  study  of  etymo- 
logy should  keep  pace  with  other  studies  ;  and  words,  for  whose 
definitions  we  resort  to  the  dictionary  hi  the  school  room,  are  re- 
membered with  more  certainty  and  accuracy,  (for  the  truth  of  this 
remark,  I  appeal  to  the  experience  of  every  scholar,)  than  those  we 
occasionally  make  ourselves  acquainted  with  in  a  later  period  of  life. 


POSTSCRIPT.  287 

A  habit  of  correct  spelling  is  never  learnt,  unless  it  be  a  matter  of 
memory  from  elementary  instruction ;  and  it  is  in  some  measure 
true  as  to  the  signification  of  words.  It  is  a  great  errour  in  edu- 
cation to  underrate  the  capacities  of  youth.  It  is  not  many  years 
ago  that  algebra  was  thought  to  be  too  severe  a  study  for  minds  not 
arrived  at  a  good  degree  of  maturity ;  and  now  males  and  females 
at  fourteen,  are  often  well  versed  in  the  science. 

I  cannot  quit  this  subject,  without  insisting  most  strenuously  on 
the  propriety  of  introducing  the  history  of  our  country,  in  every 
proper  shape  and  form,  into  our  publick  schools.  It  may  be  some- 
times in  a  condensed  form,  at  others,  in  an  extended  one ;  and  so 
often  diversified  that  facts  and  principles  should  be  lastingly  im- 
pressed on  the  minds  of  the  rising  generations.  It  is  essentially 
wrong  to  commence  the  history  of  our  own  country  after  we  have 
finished  that  of  other  countries ;  we  may  then  with  profit  and  pride 
review  our  history,  but  it  should  be  read  first  of  all.  Would  not  a 
mother  think  the  instructor  beside  himself,  who  would  advise  her 
to  teach  her  child  the  ancient,  or  foreign  languages,  before  he  began 
to  lisp  his  vernacular  ?  And  is  it  not  equally  wrong  for  him  to  study 
the  geography  and  history  of  all  the  rest  of  the  world,  before  he 
begins  to  think  of  his  own  ?  An  intelligent  Englishman  once  re- 
marked to  the  writer,  that  he  was  astonished  to  find  so  many  per- 
sons in  the  United  States,  so  well  acquainted  with  British  history ; 
and  yet,  so  entirely  unable  to  give  an  extended,  or  a  minute  account 
of  their  own.  I  find  but  few,  (said  he)  that  are  not  quite  at  home 
in  our  history  up  to  the  Saxon  heptarchy,  but  I  can  get  but  little  out 
of  them  respecting  your  affairs,  no  further  back  than  the  revolution ; 
and  this,  (he  added)  I  have  considered  as  pretty  good  evidence  that 
in  every  thing  but  political  feeling,  which  is  most  truly  sufficiently 
opposed  to  us,  you  are  colonies  still ;  and  is  not  the  inference  a  fair 
one  ?  When  your  children  and  full  grown  scholars  know  more  of 
our  king  and  nobility,  and  our  speeches  in  parliament,  than  they  do 
about  your  own  politicians,  savans  and  literati  1  The  answer  to  this 
was,  if  we  know  much  of  you,  we  know  more  of  distant  countries 
and  ancient  history,  and  would  not  your  reasoning  make  us  colo- 
nies of  Egypt,  Greece,  or  Rome,  as  well  as  of  England?  If  the  in- 
ference was  wrong,  the  satire  was  not  the  less  biting,  for  the  facts 
on  which  it  was  founded  were  nevertheless  fairly  stated.  This 
errour,  however,  is  not  one  that  originated  with  us,  we  have  it  by 
direct  inheritance ;  our  fathers  brought  it  with  them,  and  it  has  con- 
tinued with  us  ever  since.  Many  a  learned  Englishman,  both  now 
and  in  former  tunes,  could  give  a  better  description  of  every  inch  of 
classical  ground,  than  he  could  of  the  mountains  of  Scotland  and 
Wales,  and  tell  you  more  about  the  caverns  at  Delphos  than  of  the 


288  POSTSCRIPT. 

mines  of  Cornwall,  or  turn  more  readily  to  a  page  of  Strabo  than  of 
Guthrie-:  but  it  is  of  little  consequence  from  whence  this  errour  in 
education  arose,  if  it  is  only  acknowledged  to  be  one ;  for  then  it 
will  not  take  long  to  correct  it.  It  is  not  to  narrow  the  circle  of 
information  that  I  strive  to  induce  my  countrymen  to  make  our 
own  affairs  the  centre  of  that  circle ;  do  this,  and  then  extend  them 
as  far  as  you  please ;  to  embrace  all  countries,  and  ages,  and  all 
forms  of  human  knowledge.  A  youth  bred  at  home,  becomes  fa- 
miliar with  all  in  his  village,  and  the  country  around ;  his  heart 
and  memory  never  forget  a  single  circumstance  of  his  boyhood ; 
his  fishing,  skating,  and  even  his  truant  frolicks,  all  become  en- 
deared to  him  in  after  life  from  the  charm  of  retrospection.  His 
early  associations  are  forever  fresh ;  the  farther  he  is  off,  the  dearer 
his  early  associations ;  his  heart,  untravelled,  fondly  turns  to  the 
scenes  of  his  childhood ;  and  he  contemplates  them  when  he  wishes 
to  forget  other  scenes  and  many  unpleasant  events ;  but  had  he 
been  educated  abroad  from  his  infancy,  passed  the  bloom  of  his 
youth  in  Greece  and  Italy,  had  then  travelled  into  Asia,  and  had  in 
manhood  come  back  to  the  abodes  of  his  forefathers,  would  not  the 
gable  ends,  the  Lutheran  windows,  and  the  low  rooms  of  the  pater- 
nal mansion,  seem  tasteless  and  almost  vulgar  ?  What  aunt  would  he 
think  of?  What  cousin  or  her  blooming  children  would  he  inquire  for? 
He  would  hardly  ask  how  long  his  grandfather  had  been  dead,  or  if  the 
parish  church  stood  in  the  same  place  it  did  when  he  went  away  ? 
And  I  ask  if  the  same  process,  on  a  larger  scale,  is  not  going  on  in  the 
mind  of  the  youth,  as  it  regards  our  country  and  her  history,  if  he  be 
permitted  to  begin  his  education  by  looking  to  remote  antiquity  for 
instruction  and  pleasure,  and  if  not  there,  to  those  countries  whose 
institutions  are  of  early  date,  and  whose  fame  is  the  growth  of  a 
thousand  years  ?  What  to  the  boy  are  the  tame  and  common  place 
things  of  life  after  he  has  become  familiar  with  the  romance  of 
early  history,  if  his  heart  had  not  been  previously  secured  by 
the  sweet  affections  of  the  domestick  circle  ?  Rivet  his  soul  to  them 
first,  and,  true  as  the  needle  to  the  pole,  his  yearnings  will  be  for 
home,  even  in  the  palaces  of  the  Caesars ;  and  while  viewing  the 
dome  of  St.  Peters,  on  a  grand  festival,  he  will  think  of  the  village 
church,  where  he  commingled  the  love  of  his  dear  mother  with 
reverence  for  his  God ;  and  perhaps  there  the  beatings  of  his  heart, 
as  a  susceptible  and  an  enamoured  being,  were  first  made  known  to 
himself.  Secure  the  morning  vow  of  the  votary  for  his  country, 
and  every  prayer,  and  vigil,  and  oath,  and  sacrifice,  will  be  hers 
during  his  life. 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  A. 

In  1731,  the  British  merchants  sent  to  the  governors  of  all  the 
provinces  for  a  statement  of  their  commerce,  manufactures,  &c.  &c. 
Several  of  the  governors  answered  the  merchants  to  the  best  of 
their  information  upon  the  subject ;  but  in  the  New-England  states 
the  business  of  manufacturing  many  useful  articles  had  been  so  far 
extended  as  to  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  mother  country,  and  a  full 
development  of  their  progress,  most  evidently,  was  not  made. 
This  famous  report  of  the  British  merchants  was  signed  by  Paul 
Dockminique,  and  dated  February  15th,  1731 — 2,  and  contains  no 
small  quantity  of  information.  His  report  states  that  Virginia  and 
Maryland  together  exported  annually  to  Britain,  sixty  thousand 
hogsheads  of  tobacco,  weighing  six  hundred  pounds  each  ;  besides 
furs,  skins,  and  some  few  other  articles.  Pennsylvania  had  a  most 
flourishing  commerce  in  provisions,  and  New-York  had  nearly 
the  whole  command  of  the  fur  trade.  New-Jersey  had  consider- 
able commerce  at  this  time,  and  great  expectations  were  raised  on 
the  copper  mines.  New-England  had  then  a  great  trade,  for  then 
she  was  the  carrier  of  the  other  provinces  as  well  as  of  her  own 
goods.  Ship-building  was  brisk,  and  the  French  and  Spaniards 
were  ready  purchasers.  She  had  then  more  than  forty  thousand 
tons  of  shipping  actually  employed.  The  lumber  trade  was  exten- 
sive—the masts,  spars,  &c.  of  the  British  navy  were  found  in  this 
country,  as  one  of  our  poets,  soon  after  this  time,  has  said,  in  speak- 
ing of  England— 

*  •*'*>•• 

"  The  stately  mast  that  bears  their  flag  on  high, 
Grew  in  our  soil,  and  ripened  hi  our  sky." 

At  this  period,  Massachusetts  had  six  furnaces  and  nineteen  forges 
for  making  hollow  ware,  and  for  casting  small  cannon,  bombs,  shot, 
&c.  for  the  supply  of  the  demands  of  the  militia  and  naval  force 
2B  3T 


290  APPENDIX. 

in  privateers,  &c.  Nails  were  made  in  considerable  quantities, 
particularly  those  of  a  large  kind.  The  fisheries  of  New-England 
were  very  great  at  this  time.  In  the  year  1732,  the  town  of  Mar- 
blehead  alone  had  one  hundred  and  twenty  schooners  engaged  in 
the  cod  fishery,  and  made  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  quintals. 
This  was  a  fortunate  year,  for  there  was  a  profound  peace  in  Eu- 
rope that  year,  or  no  war  that  extended  to  the  Atlantick.  For  seve- 
ral years  afterwards  the  business  fell  off;  and,  in  fact,  all  commerce 
suffered  a  long  time,  insomuch  that  I  presume  the  account  given  by 
Douglass,  twenty  years  afterwards,  of  the  entrances  and  clearances, 
will  fall  short  of  the  amount  at  the  close  of  the  first  century — say 
1731,  for  this  was  about  a  century  from  the  time  they  got  well  fixed 
in  their  residences  in  Salem,  Boston,  and  a  few  other  places  in  the 
province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  At  the  close  of  the  first  century, 
the  whale  fishing  had  reached  a  considerable  magnitude,  and  the  fame 
of  our  harpooners  was  known  in  England.  The  adventurous  whale- 
men went  off  in  small  vessels  for  their  game ;  and  a  single  whale 
they  killed  often  weighed  more  tons  than  their  schooner  measured. 

The  shipping  of  New-Hampshire,  from  December  25,  1747,  to 
December  25, 1748,  including  only  vessels  engaged  in  foreign  voyages, 
was  as  follows : — cleared  out,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one ;  entered, 
seventy-three.  In  addition  to  these,  there  were  about  two  hundred 
coasting  sloops  and  schooners  engaged  in  the  lumber  trade  to  Bos- 
ton and  elsewhere  along  the  coast. 

The  entrances  and  clearances  from  Newport,  from  the  25th  of 
March,  1748,  to  25th  of  March,  1749,  were,  entered  seventy-five  ves- 
sels of  different  sizes — cleared  out,  one  hundred  and  sixty.  They 
had  grown  rich  by  privateering  and  driving  the  West  India  trade. 

At  the  same  period,  Connecticut  had  less  commerce ;  thirty-seven 
vessels  were  entered  at  the  custom-house,  and  sixty-two  cleared. 

The  commerce  of  New- York,  from  the  29th  of  September,  1749, 
to  29th  of  September,  1750,  was  entered  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  vessels,  including  coasters — cleared  out,  two  hundred  and 
eighty,  of  the  same  description.  That  of  Massachusetts  was  much 
larger.  From  the  two  custom-houses  in  Massachusetts,  from  De- 
cember 28,  1747,  to  December  28,  1748,  there  were  five  hundred  and 
forty  vessels  cleared  out,  and  four  hundred  and  thirty  entered.  The 
commerce  of  New-Jersey  was,  at  this  period,  considerable ;  from 
June  24, 1750,  to  June  24, 1751,  at  the  custom-house  at  Perth  Amboy, 
there  were  forty-one  vessels  entered,  and  thirty-eight  cleared  out. 
At  this  period  Pennsylvania  was,  although  a  much  younger  settle- 
ment than  those  around  her,  in  a  most  flourishing  condition  ;  from 
March  2,  1748-9,  to  Christmas  of  the  same  year,  there  were  three 
hundred  and  three  entries  of  vessels  of  considerable  size,  and  two 


APPENDIX.  291 

hundred  and  ninety-one  clearances,  and  there  were  then  thirty-nine 
vessels  of  considerable  size  in  the  harbour  of  Philadelphia,  nineteen 
of  which  were  ships. 

These  particulars  might  be  extended,  with  a  little  research,  but  I 
have  not  the  leisure  to  do  it. 


NOTE  B. 

I  have  often  repeated,  that  as  a  nation  we  have  done  but  little  for 
the  illustrious  dead  of  our  country.  The  extent  of  our  territory  is  one 
great  cause  of  our  neglect  in  this  subject ;  we  cannot  have  a  West- 
minster Abbey  for  statesmen,  heroes,  and  poets,  or  historians ;  these 
men  die  too  far  apart  to  be  gathered  in  the  same  cemetery ;  but  what 
the  nation  has  done,  however  small  it  may  be,  should  be  mentioned. 
In  the  plan  of  the  city  of  Washington,  the  government  appropriated 
about  ten  acres  of  land  to  a  national  burying  ground,  on  the  eastern 
branch  of  the  Potomack,  or  rather  went  into  partnership  with  the 
owners  of  the  soil  for  this  purpose ;  for  there  the  private  and  publick 
dead  rest  in  republican  simplicity  together.  It  is  a  good  site  for 
tombs ;  on  the  north-east  corner  are  to  be  found  the  graves  of  the 
publick  characters  who  have  died  at  Washington  since  1800.  There 
are  about  twenty-two  or  three  members  of  Congress,  two  vice-presi- 
dents, and  several  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  buried  there.  The 
monuments  of  the  members  of  Congress,  are  plinths  of  about  five 
feet  square  on  the  ground ;  on  this  rests  what  is  properly  the  monu- 
mental stone,  about  three  feet  high ;  on  this  is  placed  a  pediment  com- 
ing bluntly  to  an  apex.  A  very  simple  inscription,  giving  but  little 
more  than  the  birth,  death,  and,  perhaps,  dates  of  service  of  the  de- 
ceased, is  all  that  is  found  on  them,  or  all  that  stay  the  traveller; 
(and  every  traveller  is  a  visiter  of  a  grave-yard  by  immemorial  usage.) 
Some  of  these  sleeping  politicians  were  men  of  mind,  of  eloquence, 
of  patriotism,  of  learning,  and  should  be  remembered;  but  the  space 
any  single  individual  ordinarily  occupies  in  society  is  soon  filled 
up  after  he  is  gone,  particularly  in  a  republican  government.  This 
is  right. 

These  tomb-stones  of  the  deceased  members  of  Congress,  are 
shaped  like  the  cinerary  urns  of  the  ancients,  which  were  generally 
placed  in  the  niches  in  the  walls  of  the  sepulchral  chambers  of  those 
wonderful  edifices,  which  in  early  ages  were  erected  for  the  resting 
place  of  the  dead. 

Two  vice-presidents  of  the  United  States  are  tenants  of  this  burial 
ground  iu  Washington :  George  Clinton  and  Elbridge  Gerry :  they 


202  APPENDIX. 

died  in  office  in  the  city.  The  monument  of  Gerry  was  erected  by 
Congress,  and  if  the  critical  artist  finds  some  fault  with  it,  as  a  sub- 
ject of  classical  taste,  still  he  must  acknowledge  that,  as  a  whole,  it 
is  equal  to  any  thing  of  the  kind  in  our  country.  It  is  about  six 
and  a  half  feet  square  at  the  base,  and  about  fifteen  feet  in  height  j 
the  die  diminishes  as  it  rises,  and  is  empannelled ;  on  the  die  rests 
a  truncated  pyramid,  and  on  this  is  a  multipod,  intended  for  an  an- 
cient tripod,  and  this  is  surmounted  by  a  sepulchral  lamp.  The 
whole  appearance  is  good,  and  the  finishings  are  beautiful  The 
epitaph  is  composed  of  a  few  dates,  and  a  pithy  sentence  from  some 
of  his  works.  The  monument  erected  to  the  memory  of  Clinton, 
is  in  a  more  severe  style  of  the  art.  The  shape  and  size  of  the 
monument  is  nearly  the  same,  except  that  the  die  does  not  diminish 
as  it  rises,  and  the  pyramid  is  brought  to  a  regular  point ;  this  is 
crowned  with  an  iron  hour-glass,  which  is  in  bad  taste,  it  was  a 
wide  stretch  of  the  imagination,  to  take  the  lamp  from  the  sepulchre 
and  place  it  on  the  apex  of  the  mausoleum,  but  this  was  somewhat 
disguised  in  marble;  but  when  the  conceit  of  time's  giving  up  to 
eternity,  is  shown  in  naked  iron,  in  the  form  of  a  broken  hour-glass, 
the  effect  is  not  good.  The  epitaph  on  this  monument  is  something 
longer  than  on  Mr.  Gerry's ;  but  it  is  not  remarkable  for  any  thing 
but  modesty.  The  ornaments  of  the  work  are  a  basso-relievo  head 
of  Mr.  Clinton,  and  not  an  indifferent  likeness ;  the  Roman  fasces, 
the  caduceus,  and  the  cross-swords ;  emblems  of  civil,  political,  and 
military  functions.  Both  of  these  men  were  patriots  of  the  revo- 
lution, and  filled  a  wide  space  in  the  eyes  of  their  countrymen. 
Near  these  are  other  monuments,  erected  to  the  memory  of  the 
officers  of  the  navy  and  army,  in  good  taste.  Major  General  Brown 
lies  in  a  small  enclosure,  with  a  very  small  head-stone,  with  this 
inscription,  "Major  General  Brown."  Near  him,  a  very  neat 
monument  erected  by  order  of  the  king  of  Prussia,  to  his  deceased 
minister,  Frederick  Grehum,  who  died  in  this  country,  in  1823. 
Among  the  most  striking  of  this  monumental  cluster,  is  one  erected 
to  the  memory  of  a  Choctaw  chief,  Push-ma-ta-ha.  It  holds  a  sort 
of  middle  space  between  the  monuments  of  the  vice-presidents  and 
the  members  of  Congress .  The  inscription  is  worthy  of  note. 

"  PUSH-MA-TA-HA, 

a 
Choctaw  Chief, 

lies  here. 
This  monument  to  his  memory  is  erected 

by  his  brother  chiefs, 
who  were  associated  with  lum 


APPENDIX.  283 

in  a 

Delegation 

from  their  nation, 

in  the  year  1834,  to  the 

general  government 

of  the 
United  States." 

On  the  reverse  is  the  following- 

"  Push-ma-ta-ha  was  a  warrior 

of  great  distinction. 

He  was  wise  in  nouncil, 

eloquent  in  an  extraordinary  degree ; 

and  on  all  occasions, 

and  under  all  circumstances, 

the  white  man's  friend. 

He  died  in  Washington, 

on  the  24th  of  December,  1824, 

of  the  cramp,  in  the 

60th  year  of  his  age." 

Amongst  his  last  words 

were  the  following: 

"When  I  am  gone,  let  the  big  guns 

be  fired  over  me." 

This  son  of  the  forest  had  caught  something  of  civilization.  His 
nation  were  among  the  first  to  cultivate  the  ground  on  an  extensive 
scale.  They  knew  something  of  the  value  of  letters,  and  began  to 
see  that  there  were  surer  methods  of  gaining  immortality  than  by 
trusting  to  a  misshapen  mound,  or  a  shortlived  tradition.  Push- 
ma-ta-ha  fearlessly  departed,  and  the  big  guns  were  fired  as  a  farewell 
to  the  shade  of  the  warrior  and  the  white  man's  friend. 

While  my  mind  was  on  this  subject  of  doing  honour  to  the  dead, 
I  came  across  the  following  elegant  description  of  a  tomb,  which  I 
copy  because  the  work  from  which  it  is  taken  is  rare,  and  will  not 
probably  ever  be  common.  It  is  from  Lieutenant  Colonel  For- 
rest's  Picturesque  Tour  up  the  Jumna  and  Ganges,  and  through 
various  parts  of  India.  Not  that  I  ask  of  my  countrymen  to  build 
such  a  one  even  for  Washington ;  but  I  quote  it  to  show  how  much 
others  have  done  to  venerate  the  dead,  and  to  provide  a  sepulchre 
for  themselves. 

"  The  object  which  now  calls  our  attention  is  the  last  in  order,  but 
2B2 


294  APPENDIX. 

of  the  highest  beauty  and  interest  of  any  structure  yet  raised  and 
perfected  by  man  in  any  region  of  the  earth.  It  is  only  a  tomb, 
it  is  true,  and  contains  the  mouldering  remains  of  what  was  noble, 
powerful,  and  beautiful;  all  these  have  passed  away;  but  their 
names,  their  fame,  their  deeds  remain ;  and  these  works  promise  to 
hand  down  to  distant  ages  their  well-earned  renown. 

This  tomb,  the  mausoleum  of  the  emperor,  Shah  Jehan  and  his 
favourite  queen,  Moomtaz  ul  Zemani,  (or  Wonder  of  the  Age,) 
still  exists,  and  hi  all  its  pristine  beauty  and  perfection.  Tune,  with 
his  efforts  for  a  period  of  two  hundred  years,  has  as  yet  scarcely 
cast  one  sullying  stain  on  its  pure  and  lovely  mass. 

The  first  approach  to  this  wonderful  work  by  no  means  gives  an 
idea  of  the  splendid  scene  which  is  to  be  encountered  ;  the  road  is 
impeded  and  the  eye  bewildered  by  the  ruins  of  old  brick  and 
stone  buildings,  said  to  have  once  been  a  serai,  or  place  for  the 
accommodation  of  travellers,  or  more  probably  pilgrims  who  came 
to  visit  this  monument. 

The  main  gateway  is  seen  after  passing  these  ruins;  it  faces 
nearly  south,  and  is  constructed  with  the  red  stone,  but  ornamented 
in  pannels  of  rich  Mosaick  in  various  parts.  It  is  a  massive  and 
lofty  pile,  and  has  apartments  in  its  upper  part,  which  can  be  as- 
cended by  a  staircase,  and  from  whence  is  a  fine  view  of  the  tomb. 
This  building  is  an  octagon,  and  after  passing  under  its  grand  portal, 
a  scene  bursts  at  once  upon  the  eye,  which  dazzles  the  senses,  and 
wraps  every  other  feeling  in  that  of  astonishment.  The  Taje  ap- 
pears embosomed  in  a  mass  of  foliage  of  a  deep  green  at  the  further 
extremity  of  a  large  and  handsome  garden,  with  its  lofty  and  elegant 
minarets,  and  its  dome  of  extreme  beauty  and  airy  lightness ;  the 
whole  of  the  purest  white  marble,  richly  inlaid  in  patterns  of  the 
semiprecious  stones,  as  cornelian,  jasper,  onyx,  and  a  variety  of 
others  of  all  hues. 

A  noble  causeway  of  stone,  raised  considerably  above  the  level  of 
the  garden,  leads  up  to  the  main  building,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a 
range  of  fountains,  fifty  in  number ;  and  midway  a  large  basin,  in 
which  five  other  jets-d'eau  of  much  greater  height  are  thrown  up. 

The  garden  is  filled  with  trees  of  almost  every  kirtd  common  to 
India ;  some  bearing  fruits,  others  perfuming  the  ah*  with  the  odo- 
riferous scents  of  their  blossoms. 

The  Taje  stands  on  two  terraces ;  the  lower  and  largest  of  an  ob- 
long shape,  is  composed  wholly  of  red  stone ;  this  is  ascended  by  a 
flight  of  steps,  and  on  reaching  the  summit,  a  large  mosque  is  per- 
ceived at  each  end  of  it,  which  in  any  other  situation  than  so  close 
to  their  lovely  companion,  would  be  considered  as  noble  and  splendid 


APPENDIX.  296 

edifices.  These  may  be  ascended,  and  from  their  upper  apartments 
command  good  views  of  the  main  building. 

To  the  second  or  upper  terrace,  which  has  a  height  of  about  fif- 
teen feet,  you  ascend  by  a  flight  of  white  marble  steps;  of  these 
the  upper  slab,  or  landing  place,  is  one  piece  of  pure  white  marble, 
nine  feet  square..  This  upper  terrace  is  floored  with  a  chequered 
pavement  of  white  and  red.  Upon  this  stands  the  tomb,  surrounded 
by  a  marble  balustrade ;  at  each  angle  of  which  rises  a  graceful 
minaret  of  three  stories,  in  sweet  proportions.  At  each  story  is  a 
door,  which  opens  on  a  balustraded  balcony  surrounding  it.  That 
summit  is  finished  by  a  light  pavilion,  with  a  small  golden  orna- 
ment on  its  top. 

All  that  now  presents  itself  to  the  eye  of  the  spectator  is  pure, 
unsullied,  white  marble,  variously  ornamented.  The  entrance  to 
the  building  is  on  the  side  opposite  to  the  grand  gateway.  It  is  a 
lofty  portico,  with  an  arch  partaking  of  the  form  of  the  gothick 
order,  but  differing  in  its  proportions.  Round  the  upper  part  of 
this  are  inscriptions  in  Arabick,  done  in  black  marble  on  the  white 
ground. 

Previous  to  viewing  the  grand  chamber,  where  the  cenotaphs  of 
the  emperor  and  his  queen  are  placed,  it  is  usual  to  descend  by  a 
trap-door,  situated  in  the  entrance,  info  a  gradually  sloping  passage, 
which  conducts  to  the  graves  of  the  royal  dead.  The  vault  is  lined 
with  marble,  and  the  pavement  is  of  the  same  material.  In  the 
centre  is  the  grave  of  the  queen,  for  whom  this  mausoleum  was 
solely  intended ;  and  the  emperor's  design  was  to  have  erected  a 
similar  edifice  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Jumna,  which  river 
washes  the  foot  of  the  Taje  Mahal,  and  has  a  breadth  of  five  or  six 
hundred  yards.  The  magnificent  monarch  did  not  mean  to  rest 
here ;  he  meditated  the  joining  of  the  two  mausoleums  by  a  marble 
bridge,  ornamented  hi  the  same  splendid  manner.  Civil  wars, 
caused  by  the  rebellion  of  his  four  sons,  suspended  and  finally  put 
an  end  to  these  magnificent  projects ;  and  after  a  variety  of  suffer- 
ings, this  unfortunate  prince  died  in  his  prison,  in  the  fort  of  Agra, 
where  he  was  held  captive  for  seven  years,  by  his  son  Aurungzebe> 
then  reigning  emperor  of  Hindoostan. 

Returning  to  the  light  of  day,  we  entered  the  centre  chamber. 
Description  must  here  fail,  nor  can  imagination  figure  any  thing  so 
solemnly  grand,  so  stilly  beautiful,  as  the  scene  thus  suddenly  pre- 
sented to  the  view.  Every  tongue  is  mute,  every  sense  lost  in 
admiration.  There  are  no  gaudy,  glaring  decorations  to  arrest  the 
vulgar  eye;  no  glittering  gold  or  silver  to  mark  the  riches  of  India's 
monarch.  There  is  an  awe,  a  feeling  of  deep  reverence  for  the  sacred 
spot  on  which  we  tread  j  an  involuntary  pause,  a  breathless  sus- 


296  APPENDIX. 

pension,  and  a  recollection  of,  and  recurrence  to,  events  long  passed, 
which  this  scene  conjures  up  in  the  breast  of  all  who  witness  it  for 
the  first  time. 

Imagine  a  vaulted  dome,  of  considerable  height,  of  the  most  ele- 
gant and  light  Gothick  architecture,  all  composed  of  the  finest  and 
the  whitest  marble;  its  form  octagonal.  In  the  centre  stands  a 
screen  of  the  same,  wrought  into  the  most  lovely  patterns  in  fret 
work,  showing  a  freedom  of  design  and  extreme  minuteness  of  exe- 
cution, unequalled  in  this  or  perhaps  any  other  country.  The  form 
of  this  screen  corresponds  with  that  of  the  apartment,  an  octagon 
with  four  larger  and  four  lesser  faces.  At  each  angle  are  two 
pilasters,  on  which  the  most  beautiful  running  patterns  of  various 
flowers,  true  to  nature,  rise  from  the  base  of  this  screen,  while  a 
broad  and  rich  border  of  the  same  surrounds  the  upper  part.  There 
are  two  arched  doorways  in  this  screen,  opposite  to  each  other,  and 
over  the  top  of  which  is  a  rich  pattern  of  a  stone  perfectly  resem- 
bling the  purest  matt  gold.  An  entablature  of  the  richest  pattern 
surrounds  the  upper  part  of  the  screen ;  and  in  a  border  of  pome- 
granate flowers,  which  runs  the  whole  length  of  it,  every  full-blown 
flower  contains  no  less  than  sixty-one  pieces  of  various  coloured 
stones,  according  to  the  different  shades  required,  and  joined  with 
such  exactness  and  extreme  nicety,  that  with  a  sharp  pointed  pen- 
knife no  seam  can  be  distinguished.  Within  this  screen  are  the  two 
cenotaphs,  on  which  the  sculptor  and  Mosaick  artist  have  lavished 
all  their  skill.  These  are  blocks  of  marble,  and  apparently  one 
stone,  ten  feet  in  length  by  six  broad.  Below  and  above  this  are 
larger  slabs,  forming  the  pediment  and  cornice.  A  rich  and  large 
pattern  is  on  the  four  faces  of  the  cenotaphs,  the  two  differing  from 
each  other ;  and  the  upper  tablet  on  the  queen's  tomb  has  a  cluster 
of  flowers,  arranged  in  the  most  elegant  and  free  style  of  design ; 
while  that  of  the  emperor  is  surrounded  by  the  kullum  daun,  the 
distinguishing  sign  for  a  man,  the  woman  not  having  this  ornament. 
This  screen  had  gates  of  silver  in  open  filigree  work,  which  were 
carried  off  by  some  of  the  invaders  of  India.  This  tomb  is  not  alto- 
gether the  work  or  design  of  artists  of  Hindoostan.  I  have  seen  a 
list  of  the  names  of  all  the  master  masons,  sculptors,  and  artisans ; 
the  greater  part  are  from  Persia,  Cabul,  and  some  even  from  Con- 
stantinople, or  Turkey,  called  by  the  Indians  Roum. 

Some  traces  of  similar  inlaying  and  Mosaick  are  met  with  at 
Delhi  and  in  the  palace  at  Agra;  but  the  art  is  now  lost,  if  it  ever 
existed,  among  the  Hindoostanees ;  and  this  tends  to  confirm  the 
idea  that  it  was  the  work  of  foreign  artists. 

The  main  part  of  this  splendid  edifice  has  fortunately  been  re- 
spected by  all  the  invaders  of  Hindoostan,  its  great  beauty  being 


APPENDIX. 


*, 


probably  its  protection.  It  is  as  pure  and  perfect  as  the  day  it  was 
finished ;  and  with  common  cure,  in  the  equal  climate  in  which  it 
is  situated,  it  may  last  for  centuries. 

"  With  the  description  of  this  wonder  of  the  world,  the  tour  of 
the  author  closes.  He  is  well  aware  that  some  errours  may  pos- 
sibly be  found  in  it;  but  these  are  almost  inseparable  from  a  work 
written,  as  this  was,  while  moving  rapidly  through  a  country  in 
which  the  subjects  worthy  of  notice  are  so  numerous  and  so  widely 
scattered,  that  some,  too  many  indeed,  must  be  unavoidably  passed 
unnoticed  and  unseen.  As  to  the  views,  they  are  faithful  copies 
from  nature,  in  which  no  alterations  have  been  made." 


NOTE  C. 

TABLE  of  the  Number  of  Cadets  who  have  entered  and  left  the 
Military  Academy,  from  its  Organization  to  September  2, 1828. 


Number 
Admitted. 

Number 
Commis- 
sioned. 

Resigned. 

Dis- 
charged. 

Died. 

Remain, 
ing. 

Maine 

20 

3 

6 

2 

9 

New-Hampshire 
Massachusetts 

30 
91 

17 
53 

6 
32 

2 
3 

2 

9 
12 

Connecticut 

39 

27 

9 

1 

8 

Rhode-Island 

14 

5 

4 

2 

4 

Vermont 

48 

38 

8 

3 

2 

4 

New-York 

218 

107 

69 

29 

3 

32 

New-Jersey 

30 

14 

10 

3 

7 

Pennsylvania 

110 

42 

43 

17 

2 

26 

Delaware 

18 

6 

7 

2 

4 

Maryland 

75 

31 

29 

11 

1 

12 

Virginia 

140 

49 

63 

24 

1 

20 

North  Carolina 

62 

18 

30 

7 

1 

13 

South  Carolina 

50 

21 

27 

3 

7 

Georgia 

31 

8 

13 

2 

2 

9 

Kentucky 

59 

16 

22 

11 

17 

Tennessee 

39 

10 

15 

7 

3 

8 

Ohio 

44 

15 

13 

7 

1 

14 

Indiana 

14 

5 

6 

2 

4 

Louisiana 

11 

4 

4 

2 

3 

Alabama 

8 

2 

2 

3 

3 

Mississippi 
Illinois 

9 

7 

4 
2 

4 

2 

2 
3 

Missouri 

14 

8 

5 

2 

Michigan 

6 

3 

2 

2 

Arkansas 

2 

1 

\ 

1 

England 

1 

1 

Florida 

3 

1 

District  of  Columbia 

61 

24 

27 

5 

2 

5 

Not  designated 

35 

1 

18 

9 

1,289 

540 

477 

162 

20 

239 

298  APPENDIX. 


NOTE  D. 

On  the  entrance  to  the  navy-yard  there  is  a  monument  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Wadsworth,  Israel,  Decatur,  and  others,  who  fell 
before  Tripoli,  while  fighting  our  naval  battles,  and  earning  immor- 
tality for  our  navy.  This  monument  is  worthy  of  description.  It 
stands  within  a  curb-stone  circle,  about  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter; 
the  plinth  is  about  fifteen  feet  square ;  on  this  is  a  pile  of  dark 
granite,  about  four  and  a  half  feet  high ;  on  this,  as  a  base,  is  a 
marble  sub-plinth,  and  on  that  a  die  of  three  and  a  half  feet  square, 
and  on  this  a  column  of  ten  feet  high,  surmounted  by  the  national 
eagle.  The  column  is  enriched  by  emblematick  designs  that  are  full 
of  classical  history,  but  rather  difficult  to  be  read  at  a  glance.  On 
the  south  side  is  a  representation  of  the  fleet  before  Tripoli.  On 
the  opposite  side  there  are  appropriate  records  of  the  feats  of  the 
American  navy  at  this  period.  On  the  four  corners  of  the  granite 
mass,  stands  four  antique  lamps  in  full  blaze.  The  lamp  is  the 
most  classical  of  the  utensils  of  modern  use ;  their  antiquity  is  be- 
yond all  record.  In  the  early  ages  they  were  classed  as  follows: 
sacred,  publick,  domestic^  and  sepulchral.  The  latter  now  burns 
only  in  marble,  while  taste  and  fashion  have  taken  possession  of 
all  kinds  of  them,  and  rededicated  them  to  the  household  gods,  and 
added  to  them  the  hydrostatick  and  the  astral.  The  lamp  has  a 
glorious  origin ;  it  was  forged  by  Vulcan,  supplied  with  oil  by 
Minerva,  and  lighted  up  by  Prometheus,  as  described  in  the  beauti- 
ful fables  of  Greece.  It  is  in  vain  to  question  ancient  taste ;  the 
homage  of  the  present  age  is  constantly  paid  to  the  taste  and  genius 
of  the  ancients ;  for  in  spite  of  all  the  boast  of  modern  invention, 
there  is  not  a  single  trace  of  all  these  tributes  to  the  dead  that  be- 
longs to  modern  times. 

On  the  corners  of  the  first  marble  floor  of  this  monument,  stands 
emblematical  figures ;  on  the  north-east  corner  is  Mercury  with  his 
rod ;  on  the  south-east  is  Neptune — commonly  taken  for  the  genius 
of  our  country ;  but  then  it  must  be  remembered,  that  other  nations 
have  claims  to  the  same  genius ;— he  wears  a  sea-weed  crown,  and 
points  to  an  emblem  of  history,  who  is  quietly  on  the  other  corner 
with  her  sketch  book.  The  whole  work  is  light  and  airy;  and 
when  carefully  read  is  full  of  poetry;  and  if  not  of  an  epiek 
cast,  most  certainly  it  has  much  in  it  of  a  beautiful  dirge.  The 
marble  of  this  monument  is  fine,  and  some  of  the  chiselling  is  ex- 
quisite. It  was  executed  in  Italy,  and  by  some  of  the  first  masters. 
There  is  in  this,  and  some  other  monuments  brought  from  Italy,  a 
mixture  of  pure  classical  taste,  and  of  modern  design,  that  makes  it 


APPENDIX. 


209 


difficult  to  read  them  correctly ;  and  if  we  do  get  at  a  right  con- 
struction, they  must  sometimes  be  as  incongruous  as  the  labours 
of  the  artist,  who,  in  a  full  length  figure  of  Napoleon,  gave  him  a 
cocked  hat  with  Roman  sandals.  This  union  presents  a  thousand 
difficult  points  of  taste.  Even  Chantry  did  not  venture  to  make 
Washington  a  Roman  consul ;  but  shaped  a  modern  military  cloak 
into  a  consular  robe.  This  has  been  ably  defended;  and,  as  Sir 
Roger  de  Coverly  says,  much  may  be  said  on  both  sides.  Give  us 
good  specimens  of  execution,  for  design  is  more  a  matter  of  imagi- 
nation ;  these  are  easily  corrected. 


NOTE  E. 
NAVY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES,  1828. 


Sh  ips  of  the  Line.  —  7. 

Sloops  of  War.—  12. 

GUNS. 

Gt 

NS 

Independence           74 

In  ordinary. 

Hornet 

N 

In  commission. 

Franklin                   do 

do 

Erie 

• 

do 

Washington             do 

do 

Ontario 

A 

do 

Columbus                 do 

do 

Peacock 

<<( 

do 

Ohio                          do 

do 

Boston 

A 

da 

North  CVo  ina         do 

do 

Lexington 

IB 

do 

Dela'.v.irv                    do 

Commiss'n. 

Vineennes 

<],• 

do 

Warren 

do 

do 

Frigates,  \nt  Class.—  G. 

Vatchez 

d<. 

do 

fiutcd  States           44 

Ordinary. 

Airfield 

do 

do 

Constitution              do 

.lo 

Vandalia 

do 

do 

Guerriere                 do 

Commiss'n. 

St.  Louis 

do 

do 

Java                           do 

do 

Potomack                   do 

Ordinary. 

Schooners.  —  7. 

Brandywine              do 

Commisi'n. 

Dolphin 

1'J 

Commiss'n. 

Grampus 

(lo 

do 

2d  ao*«.—  4. 

Porpoise  . 

<lo 

do 

Congress                   36 

Ordinary. 

Shark 

do 

do 

Constellation            do 

do 

Fox 

( 

Ordinary. 

Macedonian               do 

Commiss'n. 

\lert  (store  ship) 

do 

Fulton  (steam)         do 

Ordinary. 

Sea  Gull  (galliot) 

do 

Corvettes,^!  Class—  2. 

John  Adams             24 

do 

Cyane                       do 

do 

NOTE.     We  have  five  ships  of  the  line  on  the  stocks,  and  several  smaller  ones. 
The  Hudson  frigate,  a  44,  has  been  purchased,  and  since  put  in 


Rise  of  the  British  Navy.  Henry  VII.  1485.— Built  the  Great 
Harry,  cost  £14,000.  This  was,  properly  speaking,  the  first  ship 
of  the  royal  navy.  Burnt  by  accident,  1554. 


300  APPENDIX. 

Henry  VIII.  1509.— The  Regent,  the  largest  ship  in  the  navy, 
was  of  1CCO  tons.  Burnt  in  fight,  August,  1512.  This  king  fixed 
the  wages  of  seamen  at  5s.  per  month.  Queen  Elizabeth  raised 
them  to  10s. 

In  1521,  the  navy  consisted  of  45  ships.  In  1545,  it  contained 
100  ships.  Laws  made  for  planting  and  preserving  timber.  Dock 
yards  founded  at  Deptford,  Woolwich,  and  Portsmouth ;  also  the 
Trinity  House.  At  the  king's  death,  in  1547,  tonnage  of  the  whole 
navy,  12,445. 


Year.  Vessels.  Tonnage.   Guns. 

Men. 

Edward  VI. 

1548      53        11,268 

Mary 

1553      24          7,110 

(  1565      29        10,506 

6,570 

Elizabeth,  1558, 

J  15S8      34        12,590 
1  1599      42 

6,279 

1  1602      42        17,055 

8,346 

The  expense  of  the  navy,  about  £30,000  per  annum. 

James 

1607      36        14,710 

8,174 

Expense  £50,000  per  annum,  exclusive  of  timber  from 

the 

royal  f 

brests,  £36,000  per  annum. 

1618      39        15,100 

1624      33        19,400 

Charles  I. 

1633      50        23,695     1434 

9,470 

Commonwealth 

5  1652    102 
I  1658    157                      4390 

21,910 

Charles  II. 

1660    154        54,463 

Expenses  per  annum,  £500,000. 

1675     151        70,587 

1678    148        69,004    5350 

30,260 

1685    179      103,558 

James  II. 

1688    173      101,892    6930 

42,003 

William  and  Mary 

51697    323 
\  1698    266 

I  1706    277 

Anne 

}  1711    313 

(1714    247      167,219 

George  I. 

1724    233      170,862 

(  1742    271 

George  H. 

}  1753    291      234,924 

f  1756    320 

{1760    412      321,104 

George  IH. 

1783    617      500,781 
1801     864 

. 

1805    949 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


FEB  1  8  1955 


31972 


'555 


arm  L9-100m-9,'52  (A3105)444 


3  1158  00966  9 


